Public Health Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: SB-327
AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN
Title: FUNERAL HOMES.
Vote Date: 3/12/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable
PH Date: 2/8/2021
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
The Public Health Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
This legislation allows funeral directors of Connecticut to serve nonalcoholic beverages and
catered food to people attending funeral services at the funeral home. It allows funeral
directors serving such beverages or food to provide facilities and supplies for doing so.
Additionally, the bill prohibits a funeral service business from operating as a food
establishment or catering food service establishment.
Existing law, unchanged by the bill, allows funeral directors to serve nonalcoholic beverages
and packaged food to people making funeral arrangements or arranging for disposition of a
deceased persons body at a funeral home.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH): The Department of Public Health
provided information regarding this legislation. As stated in the testimony, "funeral directors
may only serve nonalcoholic beverages and packaged food to a person at the time he or she
is making funeral arrangements or arranging for disposition of a dead human body at a
funeral home." DPH offers two recommends to the given bill. First, DPH recommends that the
legislation be revised to include language requiring a funeral director to have adequate and
appropriate space, facilities, equipment and supplies for the distribution or consumption of
said nonalcoholic beverages and catered food. Secondly, the DPH offers a recommendation
to include language that would prohibit funeral directors from storing or serving nonalcoholic
beverages and catered food in any room in which there are chemicals used for the care and
preparation of a deceased person.
Representative Jeff Currey, 11th Assembly District: Representative Currey of the 11th
Assembly District offers support of the proposed legislation. As stated in his testimony, "[t]he
current law prohibiting the option to serve food and drink in funeral homes is not sustainable
for the changing engine industry and it's also unsympathetic to grieving families." Funeral
homes are limited to a level of hospitality to families. Allowing funeral homes to serve carted
food and non-alcoholic beverages to grieving families offers more to the celebration of one's
life. In many cultures, as also outlined in the testimony, food is a part of the grieving process.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Peter Butler, LCSW: Peter Butler, LSCW, is a New York native and has also lived in
Washington, D.C., California and Wisconsin. Connecticut is the only place Mr. Butler has
lived where, in his personal experience, grieving families are limited to what is allowed in a
funeral home. In his testimony he explains that " As our society becomes more secular,
families who are not part of religious communities and look to celebrate their loved ones' lives
are doing this more and more at funeral homes. They should be afforded the same
opportunities as those who are part of a religious community." Overall, Mr. Butler offers
support of the passage of this bill.
Garret F. Casey III, Caseys Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Services:
Mr. Garrett F. Casey III, a licensed funeral director and manager, offers strong support on
behalf of Casey's Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Services for the passage
of this legislation. In Mr. Casey's twenty years of experience, he expressed that industry is
always evolving and changing in todays society. As stated in the testimony, " [o]ne area that
our current client families continue to ask about is the serving of food and beverage in
conjunction with the other traditional and newer services that are currently provided." Other
states permit this sort of flexibility to grieving families, and Connecticut should be one of
them. Many families have expressed that they would prefer to conduct all traditional services
encompassing a modern-day funeral in one location. Mr. Casey included in his testimony that
to accommodate families to date with these requests, funeral homes have moved services to
hotel-like locations. Mr. Casey and Casey's Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation
Services support the passage of this legislation to meet Connecticut families' needs.
Arthur Erickson CFSP, CPC: Mr. Arthur Erickson, owner of Beecher & Bennett Funeral
Services, provides support for this bill. Mr. Erickson has also served as a President of the
Connecticut Funeral Directors Association and the Selected Independent Funeral Homes
Association. As stated in the testimony, " In my position as President of Selected
Independent Funeral Homes I traveled around our country and have spoken with my
colleagues. Invariably they are surprised to learn that I cannot even offer a cup of coffee to a
family during a long visitation, or in the morning as the immediate family gathers before going
to church for Mass. To me this seems like a simple gesture of kindness."
Christopher Farrugio: Mr. Christopher Farrugio, a Licensed Funeral Director and
Embalmer, offers support of this legislation. As included in the testimony, in almost all
religions around the world when an impactful life event occurs, traditionally food takes part.
Many families continue to ask Connecticut funeral homes why food is not offered as part of
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their loved ones' services. Mr. Farrugio wrote, "[s]ometimes they want to just have coffee in
the morning with something small for the immediate family members. Under our current laws
we cannot even offer this to families." Offering catered food and nonalcoholic beverages
would help families by providing a form of comfort during a difficult time. Additionally, funeral
homes would have the opportunity to choose not to participate in offering this choice to
families. Many families will still want to have the option of going to a restaurant or traditional
venue, this bill would provide them practices to choose from.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
Matthew R. Adzima, Adzima Funeral Home: Mr. Matthew R. Adzima on behalf of Adzima
Funeral Home offers opposition to the purposed legislation. Mr. Adzima believes this bill is
misguided and does not take into consideration of Connecticut's constituents; rather, it
"benefits national conglomerates headquartered out of state and a small number of large
firms located in Connecticut." A vast majority of funeral homes in Connecticut are restored
homes that are not designed to have a space to provide preparation and service of food and
beverage. The testimony outlines that funeral directors and staff should not be expected to
provide this service, as it causes a conflict with "numerous tasks and responsibilities
required" by funeral homes' "contractual and ethical duties." Additionally, such expectations
would require significant costs for funeral home businesses.
Greater Bridgeport Funeral Directors Association: The Greater Bridgeport Funeral
Directors Association offers opposition to this bill. The association believe the legislation is
reckless, and only provides an economic gain for the few in favor of the bill. The association
stated that during this pandemic that there are important issues the legislature should focus
on other than this bill. As stated in the testimony, " [t]he needs that most funeral homes would
like you to address include making sure that nursing homes and funeral homes have the
required PPE; ensuring that nursing homes and hospice organizations provide a death
certificate upon a patients demise, fully signed with cause of death, so that we do not have to
run all over the state searching for a doctor to sign; and lobbying to implement an electronic
death certificate system verses being forced to visit town clerks offices, many of which are
not even open or have very limited hours, typically by appointment only."
Kathleen McDonald, William R. McDonald Funeral Home: Ms. Kathleen McDonald,
President of the William R. McDonald Funeral Home, is against the proposed legislation. As a
licensed funeral director, Ms. McDonald has extensive education and knowledge within the
industry. However, mentions in the testimony that this education and experience does not
include knowing how to properly handle food and provide this option to families. As stated in
the testimony, " [t]he majority of funeral homes statewide operate in restored homes that are
not equipped to provide food and drink. To retrofit funeral homes to meet health standards for
food handling would be cost prohibitive as we do not have kitchens with refrigeration,
cleaning stations, dishwashers, warming stations or proper ventilation to maintain safe food
handling as restaurants." Small family-owned firms who would not be able to safely provide
the option of catered food and nonalcoholic beverages need to be considered. Additionally, if
a funeral home provides food, there a potential allergic reactions and Ms. McDonald
questions who would assume liability should a person fall ill.
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Brendan J. Sullivan, Farley-Sullivan Funeral Homes: Mr. Brendan Sullivan, Funeral
Director for Farley-Sullivan Funeral Homes, is against this bill. As stated in the testimony,
"[t]he language in this legislation is quite vague and does not seem to be in the best interest
of the funeral homes in the State of Connecticut." Funeral homes are only meant to provide
funeral services. There are a lot of concerns regarding food and beverages being served in
funeral homes. Since the beginning of the pandemic, small businesses have been hurting,
especially restaurants. This legislation would have an impact on both restaurants and funeral
homes. Additionally, included in the legislation, "[s]maller funeral homes will have a difficult
time providing the service and could lose out on revenue and business to a larger operation
that can fulfill such an event like a funeral repast." The testimony includes other points of
concern and overall is opposed to the proposed legislation.
Reported by: Kassandra Fruin Date: 03/22/2021
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Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 20-230e
PH Joint Favorable: 20-230e
File No. 182: 20-230e