An Act Regarding the Chain of Custody in Crematories
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0661
Committee Amendment CA_A_S60 (Senate)
Amends: 22 MRSA §2843, 22 MRSA §2843-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 223, L.D. 661, Bill, "An Act Regarding 
the Chain of Custody in Crematories" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2843, sub-§3-A is enacted to read: 
3-A. Permit for burial of cremated remains in public burvinl! {!round. If 
cremated remains are buried in a public burying ground in this State, the person in charge 
of the public bu1ying ground shall endorse and provide the date the cremated remains 
were buried on each permit with which that person is presented and return it to the State 
Registrar of Vital Statistics or to the clerk of the municipality in which the public burying 
ground is located within 7 days after the date of burial. If there is no person in charge of 
the public bmying ground, an official of the municipality in which the public bmying 
ground is located shall endorse and provide the date the cremated remains were buried on 
each such permit and present it to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics or the clerk of the 
municipality. The funeral director or authorized person shall present a copy of each 
permit, after endorsement, to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics or the clerk of the 
municipality where death occurred and to the clerk who issued the permit. For the 
purposes of this subsection, "public burying ground" has the same meaning as in Title 13, 
section 1101-A, subsection 4. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §2843, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2009, c. 601, §27, is fmiher 
amended to read: 
4. 
Records. 
Each municipality shall maintain a record of any endorsed permit 
received pursuant to subsection 3 or 3-A. 
These records must be open to public 
inspection. 
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §2843-A, sub-§10, W is enacted to read: 
F. 
Upon cremation of the remains or dead body, the cremat01y shall prepare a 
ce1iificate of cremation signed and dated by the person in charge of the cremation 
indicating the date of cremation and the identity of the cremated remains or dead 
body as identified by the funeral director or practitioner of funeral service or the 
Page I - 128LR1273(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 223, L.D. 661 
cremation authorization form, including the deceased person's full name, date and 
place of death, gender and veteran status. The crematory shall provide the certificate 
of cremation to the funeral director or practitioner of funeral service or the person 
who has custody and control of the remains or dead body.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Pait letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment: 
1. Retains the requirement in the bill that crematories label the container containing 
cremated remains with the name of the deceased person; 
2. 
Retains the requirement in the bill that crematories prepare a certificate of 
cremation in order to identify the remains that were cremated but allows crematories to 
rely on the funeral director or authorized person's identification of the remains prior to 
cremation; and 
3. Requires, whenever cremated remains are buried in a public burying ground, that 
the person in charge of the public burying ground endorse and provide the date that the 
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cremated remains were buried on the permit for final disposition issued by the State 
Registrar of Vital Statistics or the clerk of the municipality in which the public burial 
ground is located. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT