Editor’s note: This content contains details about the mismanagement of human remains.

When the news broke in February that former funeral home owner Miles Harford had allegedly kept a woman’s corpse in the back of a hearse for nearly two years and improperly stored the cremated remains of more than 30 individuals, Coloradans were shocked and disturbed. Harford is facing trial in Denver with prosecutors alleging that they have found even more cremated remains in his Denver home. Such instances have paved the way for a new bill in Colorado: Senate Bill 24-137 (Regulate Mortuary Science Occupations).
Colorado is the only state in the country that doesn’t require funeral home operators to have licensing. In fact, funeral home directors haven’t been required to hold a high school diploma or a GED.
Several other high-profile incidents have occurred over the past few years, including a December 2023 case in Penrose, Colorado, where nearly 200 human remains were found in an abandoned funeral home. In 2020, there was a case in Montrose where it was found that hundreds of body parts were sold for medical research by an unchecked family-owned funeral home.
Colorado hasn’t always had relaxed laws for the funeral industry. However, in 1983, the state allocated only $2,000 towards annual inspections. From there, the continued need to save money led to further deregulation.
However, the days of little oversight in the Centennial State appear to be numbered. SB 24-173 unanimously passed the Colorado Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology on March 26, following emotional testimony from several victims of funeral home mismanagement. The bipartisan bill is headed to the Senate Finance Committee.
If signed into law, the bill would introduce mandates in order to legally operate a funeral home in Colorado. It would require that funeral directors graduate from an accredited mortuary science school, pass the arts section of the industry’s standard National Board Exam (NBE) and serve as an apprentice for one or more years.
The bill contains updated requirements for other positions in funeral homes as well. Mortuary science practitioners would have to obtain the same prerequisites, plus pass the NBE sciences exam. Embalmers would also need to graduate from an accredited mortuary science school and pass the NBE, but only the science section.
Cremationists and natural reductionists would have to obtain certification as crematory operators from the Cremation Association of North America or the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association.
While the bill has received little opposition, some have expressed concerns — particularly funeral home operators who are not licensed, but have been in the business for years with no infractions.
However, those already working in the field would be grandfathered in, but would have to meet special requirements. To obtain a provisional license, applicants would have to have worked for at least 6,500 hours, served as apprentices for one or more years and passed a criminal background check. After 24 months without any hiccups, they’d be granted a standing license.
Licenses would have to be current at all times for cremationists, natural reductionists, embalmers and mortuary science practitioners. Six hours of continuing education classes would be required to renew one’s license.
If passed, the bill would open the door for disciplinary actions, including the suspension or revocation of licenses.

For more on SB 24-173, visit leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-173