Sec. 20-213. Embalmer's license. Examination. Fee. Out-of-state licensees.

      Sec. 20-213. Embalmer's license. Examination. Fee. Out-of-state licensees. (a) After a student embalmer has completed a program of education in mortuary science approved by the board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, has successfully completed an examination prescribed by the department with the consent of the board and has completed one year of practical training and experience in full-time employment under the personal supervision and instruction of an embalmer licensed under the provisions of this chapter, such training and experience to be in the state of Connecticut and of a grade and character satisfactory to the commissioner, and has embalmed fifty human bodies under the supervision of a licensed embalmer or embalmers, he shall submit to the department an application and fee of one hundred sixty-five dollars and then be examined in writing on the Connecticut public health laws and the regulations of the Department of Public Health pertaining to the activities of an embalmer, and shall take an examination in practical embalming which shall include an actual demonstration upon a cadaver. When such registered student embalmer has satisfactorily passed said examinations, said department shall issue to him a license to practice embalming. At the expiration of such license, if the holder thereof desires a renewal, the department shall grant it pursuant to section 20-222a except for cause.

      (b) Examinations for registration as a student embalmer and for an embalmer's license shall be administered to applicants by the Department of Public Health, under the supervision of the board, semiannually and at such other times as may be determined by the department.

      (c) Any person licensed as an embalmer in another state whose requirements for licensure in such capacity are substantially similar to or higher than those of this state and who is a currently practicing competent practitioner shall be eligible for licensure without examination upon application and payment of a fee of one hundred sixty-five dollars, provided all such applicants shall be required to pass an examination, given in writing, on the Connecticut public health laws and the regulations of the Department of Public Health pertaining to the activities of an embalmer. No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint.

      (1949 Rev., S. 4530; 1951, S. 2252d; 1959, P.A. 616, S. 61; 1967, P.A. 835, S. 1; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 70; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 43; 223, S. 11; P.A. 75-108; P.A. 76-113, S. 8; P.A. 77-614, S. 434, 610; P.A. 80-484, S. 86, 176; P.A. 81-471, S. 48, 71; P.A. 88-163, S. 1; P.A. 89-251, S. 109, 203; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)

      History: 1959 act increased fee in Subsec. (2) from $10 to $15 and quadrupled fee in Subsec. (3); 1967 act deleted requirement of satisfactory completion of four-year course in a secondary school or equivalent prior to beginning embalming school study and substituted satisfactory completion of course of study in a "postsecondary school" for embalmers, in Subsec. (1)(d), substituted in Subsec. (3) "department of health" for "board" re granting renewal of license "pursuant to section 20-222a" and deleted provisions re fee and procedure now covered by said section and added full name of board to Subsec. (4); 1971 act increased license fee in Subsec. (3) from $40 to $100; 1972 acts changed minimum age for embalmer from 21 to 18, reflecting changed age of majority and reduced licensing fee in Subsec. (3) from $100 to $40; P.A. 75-108 replaced list of specific subjects covered in examination with "such subjects as may be required by the conference of funeral service examining boards" in Subsec. (2); P.A. 76-113 deleted requirement that applicants be U.S. citizens and of good moral character; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, required consent of health services commissioner for examination subjects and prescribed oral examination and transferred administering of examinations from board to health services department retaining board in supervisory role, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-484 deleted former Subsecs. (1) and (2) setting forth qualifications required of student embalmer and re examination procedure for registration as student embalmer, redesignated former Subsecs. (3) and (4) as (a) and (b), transferred powers formerly held by board to department of health services, deleted requirement that applicant for license be at least eighteen and deleted reference to July first as expiration date for license; P.A. 81-471 added requirement that student embalmers complete a program of education in mortuary science and reduced the number of bodies required to be embalmed by student embalmers prior to examination from 100 to 50; P.A. 88-163 reduced the practical training requirement from two years to one year, provided for a $150 application fee and added Subsec. (c) concerning licensing of persons licensed in another state; P.A. 89-251 increased the application fees from $150 to $165; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.