HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4500

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, March 5, 2020.

The committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3706) of James Arciero, James Dolan and Patrick M. O'Connor  relative to state assistance for funeral expenses, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4500) ought to pass.

For the committee,

KAY KHAN.

        FILED ON: 2/4/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4500

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act relative to state assistance for funeral expenses.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 9 of chapter 117A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-

The commonwealth may recover this expense from any legally liable family members in the manner provided in this chapter, and if such family members do not pay this expense, the commonwealth shall pay an amount not exceeding $2,000 to the funeral establishment if the total expense of the funeral and final disposition does not exceed $7,000, excluding cash advance items for services not directly provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the general price list.

SECTION 2. Chapter 117A of the General Laws is hereby amended inserting after section 10 the following section:-

Section 11. The Department of Transitional Assistance shall promulgate regulations applicable to the payment of funeral and final disposition expenses as pursuant to section 9 of chapter 117A, section 2 of chapter 118, and section 7 of chapter 118A to exclude cash advance items for services not directly provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the general price list from the calculation of the total expense of said funeral and final disposition.

Funeral establishments shall include a general price list for services offered on their website in order to receive full payment or reimbursement from agencies and offices of the Commonwealth including, but not limited to the department of transitional assistance.

SECTION 3. The third paragraph of Section 2 of chapter 118 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-

The department may pay a sum not exceeding $2,000 toward the funeral and final disposition of a recipient to the funeral establishment if there are insufficient resources to pay for the cost of such funeral and final disposition and if the total expense of the funeral and final disposition does not exceed $7,000, excluding cash advance items for services not directly provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the general price list.

SECTION 4. Section 7 of chapter 118A of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-

The department may pay a sum not exceeding $2,000 toward the funeral and final disposition of a recipient to a funeral establishment if there are insufficient resources to pay for the cost of such funeral and final disposition and if the total expense of the funeral and final disposition does not exceed $7,000, excluding cash advance items for services not directly provided by the funeral establishment and not included on the general price list.