Cemeteries.

Senator Richardson's cemetery management legislation establishes new oversight mechanisms for abandoned endowment care cemeteries while increasing regulatory fees across the funeral and cemetery industries. The bill creates a framework for transferring abandoned cemeteries to public cemetery districts or private operators, funded through a 150% increase in industry licensing and regulatory fees.

The legislation requires local governments to initiate formation of new public cemetery districts or reorganization of existing districts within 120 days of being notified about an abandoned cemetery in their jurisdiction. The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau must provide resources and cover costs associated with this process, including environmental review and filing fees. The bureau will also establish an Abandonment Grant Funding Program, supported by 50% of the increased fee revenue, to ensure continued maintenance of these properties.

Cemetery authorities face enhanced reporting requirements, including submission of maps showing burial locations to county recorders and direct transmission of quarterly bank statements from financial institutions to regulators. The bill allows both public cemetery districts and licensed private entities to acquire abandoned cemeteries, giving them access to existing endowment funds while limiting their liability for prior mismanagement. New operators must honor existing burial contracts but are protected from claims related to actions of previous owners.

The measure specifically addresses six named abandoned cemeteries while creating a process for managing additional properties that may be abandoned after January 2026. Local Agency Formation Commissions have one year to evaluate district formation proposals, with the bureau working to secure property titles for transfer to new operators.