Past Issues

Every issue of The Funeral Director's Brief -- weekly regulatory intelligence for New York funeral directors.

Issue #9 — May 1, 2026

Can You Still Train Your Successor Under Albany's New Residency Rules? S7690 Is One Vote From Passing.

The Residency Overhaul caps your firm at two residents, locks any owner with a recent disciplinary letter out of training successors for five years, kills part-time residency, and adds a quarterly reporting burden -- and it is one procedural step from a vote it has already won once. Inside: the five situations that determine how it hits your firm and what to ask in calls this week.

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Issue #8 — April 24, 2026

The Budget Is Now 23 Days Late. The Session Window Is Closing.

Three weeks of session burned on budget negotiations. The math on what can still pass before June. Why S7690 in Finance is now first in line, and what to ask NYSFDA about the FTC comment deadline (37 days out) before May 31.

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Issue #7 — April 17, 2026

The Budget Is Now 16 Days Late. Here Is What That Costs You.

The compounding cost of budget delay on the spring legislative window. S7690 sitting in Senate Finance, FTC comment deadline 44 days out, and a narrow DOL "qualified tips" rule worth flagging if your livery or transportation staff are tipped employees.

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Issue #6 — April 10, 2026

Albany Is Still Stuck. But the Window to Act Is Now.

Why the pre-sprint window is the right time to call your senator on S7690 -- before bills are calendared. FTC Funeral Rule comment window still open with 51 days remaining, plus a clean-up note on Federal Register coverage that has been confused in trade press.

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Issue #5 — April 3, 2026

The FTC Wants Your Input on the Funeral Rule -- and You Have Until May 31 to Give It.

The FTC's January 26 PRA notice opens a formal comment window on the Funeral Rule's information collection requirements. Why this is the moment to put concerns about enforcement priorities and compliance burden on the record, plus how to keep this separate from the FTC's parallel Regulation O notice that some trade press has confused with it.

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Issue #4 — March 31, 2026

Albany Is in Budget Mode. Here's What That Means for Your Bills.

Why no funeral-specific bills move during budget season -- and why that is not bad news. S9112, A10095, and S7690 all sit in committees the legislature is not staffing right now. What to expect when budget work clears and the spring sprint begins.

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Issue #3 — March 24, 2026

The Apprenticeship Bill Is Dead. Here's What Killed S8152 -- and What's Still Alive.

S8152 had its enacting clause stricken in June 2025. We break down what happened, why it matters, and what the Assembly companion bill A5172 means going forward. Plus: the FTC's Funeral Rule comment window opens with a May 31 deadline, and DOH inspections are going statewide.

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Issue #2 — March 13, 2026

What the 4-Year Apprenticeship Bill Means for Rural Funeral Homes

S8152 explained in plain English -- not a shortcut, a structured alternative. Why rural operators are hit hardest by the workforce shortage. A 12-point prep room inspection checklist to use before an inspector arrives. Key 2026 deadlines.

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Issue #1 — March 2026

SCI Brought Their Bill to Albany Without NYSFDA. Here's What S9112 Actually Says.

Service Corporation International introduced the Licensed Funeral Arranger Act without NYSFDA support. What it would actually change, who it benefits, and why NYSFDA is fighting it. Plus: a new DOH bureau director is staffing up, and inspections are coming.

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