There are some 1800 funeral
homes in Pennsylvania, around 1000 cemeteries and memorial parks, and
some 500 crematories. A comprehensive directory of all the funeral
homes in Pennsylvania is provided here on US Funerals Online, and this
article provides a brief outline to assist you with understanding the funeral
regulations and requirements in the state of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is ranked the
6th most populated state, with its four most populated cities being Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie. The state capital is Harrisburg.
The State Board of Funeral
Directors regulates the licensure and practice of funeral
directors in Pennsylvania. The Board’s functions include the
formulation of necessary rules and regulations for the proper conduct of
the business or profession of funeral directing in order to safeguard the
interests of the public and the standards of the profession. In addition,
the Board fixes the time and place for the examination necessary to obtain
a license and, through its authorized inspector, conducts inspections of
funeral homes.
The Pennsylvania Cemetery
Cremation and Funeral Association (PCCFA) is the association of funeral
directors, cemetery and crematory businesses. They serve to support
industry professionals and consumers in the sale and purchase of funeral
services in the state.
Funerals in Pennsylvania
Firstly it is advisable to ensure
that you are dealing with a licensed funeral director. Funeral homes
should display their licenses, or you can ask for their license number.
All funeral establishments are required to provide you with a General Price
List (GPL) when you make any inquiry regarding the cost of their services.
A GPL must state an itemized breakdown of all services and merchandise.
This is in line with the federal law on the sale of funeral services and
products.
Home death care in Pennsylvania
Nothing in Pennsylvanian law
states that you must use the services of a funeral director.
However, if the family plans not use a funeral director but wishes to remove
the body through a family member, the Department of Health will instruct
the hospital not to release the body until the family files the death certificate
with a local registrar and returns to the hospital with the burial (disposition)
permit in hand as evidence of the family’s having filed the death certificate.
This assumes the body is not dead of a contagious disease.
It is quite common in rural parts of Pennsylvania for family to chose to
coordinate their own service and burial on a family cemetery plot.
Embalming in Pennsylvania
Embalming is NOT required by
law, although if the body is being transported out-of-state or out of the
U.S. embalming may be required. Some entombment mausoleums may have
stipulations about embalming.
Note: embalming may be an
option if a visitation is required prior to the funeral, and although embalming
may help to delay decomposition it does not prevent it completely.
Burial in Pennsylvania
Nothing in state law prohibits
a burial on private, family property. The family should check with the
local zoning or code enforcement officer. Apparently, Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh have ordinances prohibiting human burials anywhere but in an
established cemetery.
If you require a cemetery
burial plot in Pennsylvania then it is recommended that you research in
detail with the cemetery of your choice. All cemeteries have their
own policies regarding specific criteria for vaults, grave liners and grave
markers. Pennsylvania law does NOT require that a vault is needed or indeed
a casket or coffin. The Federal Funeral law states that you do NOT
have to purchase a casket from your funeral director, and your funeral
director can NOT refuse to accept a casket purchased online.
Most cemeteries impose their
own regulations as a standard to maintain their grounds. Vaults help
to maintain the integrity of the burial plot, especially as the ground
is subjected to extremes of heat and cold in the Pennsylvanian climate.
The imposition by cemeteries can also be considered another aspect of the
profitability of the death care industry.
There are many small family
cemeteries across rural Pennsylvania, where a small plot of land is encased
by a fence and holds the family entombments. If you are considering
using private land as a family burial plot, do ensure that you consult
lawyers so that the deeds are written such that the family can still gain
access if ever the land is sold. Note: there are state laws governing
the movement of interred remains.
A casket is not required for
cremation purposes but a combustible cremation container is required. Cremated
remains can be buried in a cemetery lot or cremation garden, inurned in
a columbarium, kept at home, or scattered on private property. Indeed there
is a growing industry of ash scattering options and services available
in Pennsylvania now. Further information on cremation urns ‘click
here’.
If the Death Occurs Outside
of Pennsylvania
These days with a more mobile
population deaths can commonly occur away from home. If a death occurs
in another state you will need to make arrangements to transport the body
back to Pennsylvania. A funeral home at the place of death will need
to assist you in collecting the body and preparing it for transportation.
Another option is for a cremation to be conducted at the place of death,
and the cremated remains then shipped home.
Donating a body to science is
growing as a new alternative end-of-life solution. If you are interested
in an anatomical gift, further information about donating a body in Pennsylvania
can be found on our Body Donation page.
If you have a grievance about
funeral
services in Pennsylvania you should contact the PCCFA who will try
and assist or direct you:
Pennsylvania Cemetery
Cremation and Funeral Association
100 S. 21st Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17104
Telephone: 717-236-9970
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