LRB-4617/1
MED:amn
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
January 12, 2018 - Introduced by Representatives VanderMeer, Krug, Born,
Edming, Felzkowski, Genrich, Horlacher, Hutton, Katsma, Kitchens,
Kooyenga, Kulp, Loudenbeck, Macco, Novak, Petryk, Rohrkaste,
Skowronski, Snyder, Spiros and Stuck, cosponsored by Senators Roth,
Craig, Darling, Feyen, Johnson, Stroebel, Testin, Wanggaard, Vukmir and
Nass. Referred to Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform.
AB837,1,4 1An Act to repeal 445.095 (2) (c) and (d); to amend 445.01 (2), 445.045 (1) (e),
2445.045 (1) (f), 445.095 (1) (a), 445.095 (2) (b), 445.095 (4) and 445.10 (1); and
3to create 445.095 (2) (a) and 445.095 (5) of the statutes; relating to: funeral
4director apprenticeships.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes various changes to laws regarding funeral director apprentices,
including all of the following:
1. Under current law, in order to become a funeral director apprentice, a person
must satisfy a number of requirements, including completing one academic year of
instruction in a recognized college or university in a course of study approved by the
Funeral Director Examining Board or have equivalent education. This bill replaces
the one year of instruction or equivalent education requirement with a requirement
that a person complete a 16-hour certification course approved by the board.
2. Under current law, only one funeral director apprenticeship may be
recognized by the board at a funeral establishment in a current year that has had less
than 150 funeral services or prepared less than 150 bodies for burial or shipment
during the preceding year; the board may recognize a second funeral director
apprenticeship at a funeral establishment that during the current year has had 150
funerals or more and has prepared 150 bodies or more for burial or shipment during
the preceding year, provided that at least two licensed funeral directors are employed
full time at that establishment.

The bill removes any distinction as to how many funeral director apprentices
may be recognized based upon the number of funerals or bodies prepared and allows
a funeral establishment at which one or two licensed funeral directors are employed
to have up to two apprentices, but requires that, in order to have three or more
apprentices, a funeral establishment must have one full-time employed licensed
funeral director for each apprentice.
3. Current law limits funeral director apprenticeships to four years, with the
possibility of an additional extension granted by the board of up to one year. Under
the bill, after four years or after an extension if an extension is given, a funeral
director apprenticeship may continue if the apprentice again completes an approved
certification course described above.
4. Current law requires that apprentices be under the personal supervision of
a licensed funeral director, but does not further specify as to what supervision is
required. The bill provides that supervision of an apprentice, when an apprentice
is in a funeral establishment's preparation room, requires that the apprentice is
within the funeral director's line of sight.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB837,1 1Section 1 . 445.01 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,2,82 445.01 (2) An “apprentice funeral director" is any “Apprentice” means a person
3engaged in the learning of the practice of funeral directing under the instruction and
4personal supervision of a duly licensed and registered funeral director who is
5licensed
under this chapter, and whose funeral establishment is located in this state;
6provided, that no person shall serve or attempt to serve as such apprentice funeral
7director under any such funeral director until the person has filed registration
8thereof with the examining board
.
AB837,2 9Section 2. 445.045 (1) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,2,1310 445.045 (1) (e) The person must have satisfactorily completed 9 months or more
11instruction in a prescribed course in mortuary science approved by the examining
12board at any time after having completed one year of college work or equivalent
13education
an approved certification class described in s. 445.095 (1) (a).
AB837,3
1Section 3. 445.045 (1) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,3,62 445.045 (1) (f) The person must have completed one year of apprenticeship as
3prescribed in s. 445.095 at any time after having completed one year of college work
4or equivalent education
an approved certification class described in s. 445.095 (1) (a)
5and either before or after taking the course in mortuary science required by par. (e)
6and must have satisfied the requirement under s. 445.095 (4).
AB837,4 7Section 4. 445.095 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,4,48 445.095 (1) (a) A person desiring to become an apprentice as a funeral director
9shall apply on a form provided for the purpose and appear before the examining
10board, or any duly appointed representative of the examining board. The application
11shall state that the applicant is 18 years of age or older, holds a high school diploma
12or possesses equivalent education as defined by the examining board, does not have
13an arrest or conviction record, subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322 , and 111.335, and has
14completed one academic year of instruction in a recognized college or university in
15a course of study approved by the examining board or has equivalent education
a
1616-hour certification class approved by the examining board
. The application must
17be substantiated by the oath of the applicant and be accompanied by the fee specified
18in s. 440.05 (6). When the examining board is satisfied as to the qualification of an
19applicant for apprenticeship, it shall issue a certificate of apprenticeship. When the
20apprentice enters the employment of a licensed funeral director, the apprentice shall
21immediately notify the examining board, giving the name and place of business of
22the funeral director whose service the apprentice has entered. If, at any time
23thereafter, the apprentice leaves the employ employment of the licensed funeral
24director whose service the apprentice has entered, the licensed funeral director shall
25give the apprentice an affidavit showing the length of time served as an apprentice

1with that employer, and the work done in detail, which affidavit shall be filed with
2the examining board and made a matter of record in that office. If the apprentice
3thereafter enters the employ employment of another licensed funeral director in this
4state, the applicant shall forthwith report such employment to the examining board.
AB837,5 5Section 5. 445.095 (2) (a) of the statutes is created to read:
AB837,4,96 445.095 (2) (a) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the examining board may
7recognize only one funeral director apprenticeship at a funeral establishment in a
8given year for each funeral director that is employed full time at the funeral
9establishment.
AB837,4,1210 2. The examining board may recognize up to 2 funeral director apprenticeships
11at any funeral establishment at which less than 3 funeral directors are employed full
12time in a given year.
AB837,6 13Section 6. 445.095 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,4,1814 445.095 (2) (b) The term of a registered apprentice shall be recognized only
15when given employment the apprentice is employed in a funeral establishment
16under the personal supervision of a licensed funeral director. For purposes of this
17paragraph, supervision, when the apprentice is in the preparation room, requires
18that the apprentice is within the funeral director's line of sight.
AB837,7 19Section 7. 445.095 (2) (c) and (d) of the statutes are repealed.
AB837,8 20Section 8. 445.095 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,5,821 445.095 (4) Before such an apprentice shall be is eligible to receive a funeral
22director's
license to practice funeral directing, the apprentice shall present, in
23connection with the other evidence required by this chapter, affidavits from the
24several licensed funeral directors under whom the apprentice has worked, showing
25that the apprentice has, during the term of his or her apprenticeship, assisted in

1embalming for burial or shipment at least 25 bodies, has assisted in preparing 25
2dead human bodies for burial or transportation, other than by embalming, and has
3assisted in at least 25 funeral services during the apprenticeship. This work must
4all have been done within 4 years from the date of registering as an apprentice, but
5such time may be extended by the examining board for good cause shown, not to
6exceed one additional year. The provisions of this section shall be suspended for such
7period as a registered apprentice may be an active member of the military or naval
8forces of the United States.
AB837,9 9Section 9. 445.095 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
AB837,5,1210 445.095 (5) No person may serve or attempt to serve as an apprentice under
11a funeral director until the person has filed registration thereof with the examining
12board.
AB837,10 13Section 10. 445.10 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB837,6,414 445.10 (1) The term of an apprenticeship for a funeral director shall begin on
15the date of registration and terminate after shall continue for a period of not more
16than 4 years from the time of first registration unless the time is extended under this
17chapter. A registered apprentice must make application for license and must appear
18before the examining board for examination within 4 years from the date of
19registration unless the time is extended under this chapter. Noncompliance with
20this subsection terminates the right to serve as an apprentice
an extension, not to
21exceed one additional year, is granted by the examining board. After 4 years have
22elapsed or, if an extension is granted, after the expiration of the extension, the
23apprenticeship may not be continued unless the apprentice again completes an
24approved certification class described in s. 445.095 (1) (a). If the apprentice again
25completes such a certification class, an additional 4-year period, subject to

1extension, shall begin as provided in this subsection. An apprenticeship not
2continued as provided in this subsection shall terminate. The provisions of this
3subsection shall be suspended while a registered apprentice is an active member of
4the military of the United States
.
AB837,11 5Section 11. Initial applicability.
AB837,6,96 (1) The treatment of sections 445.045 (1) (e) and (f) and 445.095 (4) of the
7statutes first applies to an application for a funeral director license submitted by an
8applicant who submitted an application for a certificate of apprenticeship on the
9effective date of this subsection.
AB837,6,1210 (2) The treatment of sections 445.095 (1) (a) and 445.10 (1) of the statutes first
11applies to an application for a certificate of apprenticeship submitted by an applicant
12on the effective date of this subsection.
AB837,12 13Section 12. Effective date.
AB837,6,1514 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after
15publication.
AB837,6,1616 (End)
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