Let me begin by simply stating that this update is the opinion of myself and is not an official statement from the Montana Board of Funeral Service. As many of you might remember, this summer at our MFDA Convention, we discussed the lack of movement with the “Board.” Many of us had conversations with Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras, which I believe initiated a July 27, 2022, Full Board Meeting.

Here are the highlights of the meeting.

• Jim Axelson was named Presiding Officer and Ralph Mihlfeld was named Secretary/Treasurer. The Board still has a vacancy for a public member.
• The Board considered the letter written by Jim Brown of MFDA, requesting discussion and possible legislative action in 2023 around an “apprentice” program that would allow for students enrolled in an accredited mortuary
  science program to simultaneously begin work on their internship requirement for full licensure. Executive officer Dan Ritter, not understanding, what MFDA was trying to accomplish, advised that the board to do nothing. After clarification, the conclusion was that Mr. Ritter is to follow up with legal council to see if the board can make
  changes to the intern license requirements to allow for students to intern while attending school.

   

The remainder of the meeting was nothing short of disappointment. It is clear to me and others that Mr. Ritter and the Department of Labor and Industry are either completely incompetent or trying to place the Board of Funeral Service in a position that the legislature will have to revisit the recently passed death certificate bill we worked so diligently to pass.  The Board now has a surplus of money, spilling into the general fund. If the Board continues to have surplus, we can be almost guaranteed the legislature will revisit the bill and defund the board, placing us back into a position where the licensees will continually have to fund the board on their own. Mr. Ritter made it clear that he had not intention of holding regular meetings, even at the request of the members of the board. He could not or refused to answer questions regarding finances, the status of complaints, inspections, and so on. The members of the board were vocal about their
frustrations, but those concerns fell on deaf ears. If you get a chance, take some time a listen to the minutes of the meeting. You will surely be disappointed in the Department of Labor and Industry, but you will more fully be aware of the hurdles we are now facing.