An Act concerning the state board of mortuary arts; amending K.S.A. 1995 Supp. 65-1751 and repealing the existing section.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

Section 1. On July 1, 1996, K.S.A. 1995 Supp. 65-1751 is hereby amended to read as follows: 65-1751. (a) The state board of mortuary arts may refuse to issue or renew a license, may revoke or suspend a license or may publicly or privately censure a licensee, upon a finding that a licensee or an applicant for a license:

(1) Has made any misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent state- ments in applying for or securing an original or renewal license;

(2) has committed an act of unprofessional or dishonorable conduct or professional incompetency;

(3) has been convicted of a felony, and the licensee or applicant for a license is unable to demonstrate to the board's satisfaction that such person has not been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust, or has been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude;

(4) has violated any law, ordinance or rule and regulation affecting the handling, custody, care or transportation of dead human bodies;

(5) is rendered unfit to practice embalming or funeral directing by reason of illness, alcohol, chemicals or other types of substances, or as a result of any mental or physical condition when certified by a physician as to unfitness;

(6) has failed or refused to properly protect or guard against conta- gious, communicable or infectious disease, or the spreading thereof;

(7) has refused to surrender a dead human body upon the request of the next of kin, or legal representative, if there is no next of kin, or person entitled to the custody and control of the body if there is no next of kin available and no legal representative qualified to act;

(8) or the agent, employee or representative thereof, has advertised, solicited or sold merchandise or services in a manner which is fraudulent, deceptive or misleading in form or content;

(9) or the agent, employee or representative thereof, has engaged in the uninvited, in-person solicitation of an actual or potential customer, who, because of the customer's particular circumstances, was vulnerable to undue influence, intimidation, coercion or overreaching or has violated a provision of K.S.A. 65-1752 and amendments thereto;

(10) or the agent, employee or representative thereof, has knowingly engaged in at-need solicitation;

(11) has used or employed, directly or indirectly, any agent, repre- sentative or person, for the purpose of contacting public officials or agents of institutions by whose influence dead human bodies may be turned over to a particular licensee or funeral establishment;

(12) has aided or abetted an unlicensed person to practice any activity for which a license is required under article 17 of chapter 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated and acts amendatory of the provisions thereof or sup- plemental thereto;

(13) has had a license to practice embalming or funeral directing re- voked or suspended, has been censured or has had other disciplinary action taken against oneself or has had an application for a license denied by the proper licensing authority of another state, territory, District of Columbia or other country, a certified copy of the record of the action of the other jurisdiction being conclusive evidence thereof;

(14) has cheated on or attempted to subvert the validity of the ex- amination for a license;

(15) has been found to be mentally ill, mentally disabled, not guilty by reason of insanity, not guilty because the licensee suffers from a mental disease or defect or incompetent to stand trial by a court of competent jurisdiction;

(16) has failed to furnish the board, or its investigators or represen- tatives, any information legally requested by the board;

(17) has failed to report to the board any adverse action taken against the licensee by another state or licensing jurisdiction, a professional as- sociation or society, a governmental agency, by a law enforcement agency or a court for acts or conduct similar to acts or conduct which would constitute grounds for disciplinary action under this section;

(18) has an adverse judgment, award or settlement against the li- censee resulting from the practice of funeral directing or embalming which related to acts or conduct similar to acts or conduct which would constitute grounds for disciplinary action under this section or has failed to report such matter to the board;

(19) has knowingly submitted any misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representation on a claim form, bill or statement;

(20) has violated any lawful rules and regulations promulgated by the board or any state or federal law related to the practice of funeral di- recting, embalming or funeral establishments; or

(21) has failed to pay any fee required under this act.

(b) The board may adopt rules and regulations defining, construing and interpreting the above grounds for licensure action. All administrative proceedings taken by the board pursuant to this section shall be con- ducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act.

(c) As used in this section:

(1) ``License'' means an embalmer's license, funeral director's license, assistant funeral director's license, funeral establishment license or branch establishment license.

(2) ``At-need solicitation'' means any uninvited contact for the pur- pose of the sale, or attempted sale, of funeral services or merchandise to the family or next of kin of a person after the person's death, or where death is imminent.

Sec. 2. K.S.A. 1995 Supp. 65-1751 is hereby repealed.

Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.

Approved May 11, 1996.