Welcome to the 2023 MFDA Annual Convention and Trade Show edition of the Directors Digest magazine. I am writing this article on a beautiful April day in Montana.
April is always one of my favorite months. This is due to the fact that one day it can be snowing, and the next, it can be 50 degrees and sunny. And, to be able to say, “spring has sprung” is a welcomed opportunity after experiencing another very wintery weather season.
The winter months were busy ones for the MFDA. In January, the 2023 Montana Legislature convened. As always, the Association has been up “on the hill” to represent Montana’s funeral industry. As of writing this, the Association has been successful in advancing its two major legislative bills for this session.
The first bill, HB 505, raised the initial policy limit cap on funeral insurance from its current $15,000 to $25,000. The cap on funeral insurance has not been raised in Montana for over a decade and, thus, has not kept up with inflation. Further, Montana is the only state in the union to have a funeral insurance cap.
The second bill is SB 244. This bill, sponsored by Senator Mike Cuffe, revises existing Montana law to allow mortuary science students to conduct their internship while they are in school. Prior to this bill, the required internship could only be performed after the student passes the examination. This resulted in Montana losing out to other states when attempting to recruit and employ recent mortuary science school graduates.
Turning now to other matters, early in February, the Association hosted its biannual Mid-Winter Conference and Legislative Reception in Helena. I am pleased to write that the conference had the highest number of attendees during my tenure as MFDA’s Executive Director. I believe the Legislative Reception was successful in building goodwill between the members of the legislature who attended and the Association.
In addition, the Association attended the NFDA D.C. Advocacy Summit on April 18–21 in Washington, D.C. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued in-person meeting restrictions that followed in the wake of the pandemic, the NFDA summit has not been held as an in-person event since 2019. While in D.C., the Association met with Montana’s congressional delegation. We brought a message to them that the FTC is overreaching in its proposed revisions to the funeral rule. As the saying goes, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” So it goes with the funeral rule. It is MFDA’s position that the proposed rule changes are the equivalent of a hammer pounding an unneeded nail. The Association made its position known when it submitted its comments to the FTC in early January.
In this issue of Directors Digest, you will find all the information needed to attend MFDA’s annual convention. The convention will be held June 11–13 at the Miles City event center. We are excited about this year’s quality lineup of speakers.
MFDA is pleased to have NFDA President-Elect Dutch Nie from the great state of Michigan join us as our keynote speaker. Other great speakers include member favorites Dominick Astorino, Debbie Sorensen, and Diane Morris. Topics will range from OSHA training to “Value in Results: Real Solutions for Modern Embalming Challenges.” The convention is the place to get your CE credits completed in one convenient setting.
In addition, the annual state convention always presents the best opportunity for our members to act with their friends, peers, and business partners. The number one reason identified by people for attending a trade association convention is to see and visit with their colleagues. And MFDA’s state convention schedule is geared toward that outcome in Montana.
The annual golf tournament will be held at the Miles City Town & Country Club. Attendees and their family members will have the opportunity to participate in a wagon ride and barbeque.
In light of the roster quality of education speakers and fun convention events, we hope to see you, your employees, and your family, in eastern Montana’s Cowboy Capitol in a few short weeks. All the information you need to register for the 2023 convention is contained within the pages of this edition of the magazine.
I hope you have a great summer.
Sincerely,
James Brown, Esq.
