Ohio could be the next state to legalize natural organic reduction if a recently introduced bill in the state legislature is approved.

Republican state Senator Louis W. Blessing III introduced Senate Bill 323, which calls for establishing NOR as a choice for families when considering methods for treating a body in preparation for disposition. Blessing, in testimony before the Senate Ways and Means Committee, called NOR “the gentle process of transforming a body into soil.”

“Natural organic reduction might not be the right choice for everyone, but we should respect and allow this choice for those who want it because it reflects their values,” Blessing said.

Natural organic reduction is the process of controlled supervised decomposition of a human body resulting in the conversion of human remains into a soil-like product. New Jersey legalized the process in 2025, and it is scheduled to become available to consumers in July 2026. Utah, as well as several other states, is also considering legalizing the process.

Blessing, in his testimony, said Ohio law “does not take into account new and environmentally mindful technologies like NOR that are already being regulated in 14 states across the country.”

“With state regulations not keeping up with the modern forms of funeral practices, this leaves bereaved families, local officials, and funeral services providers not able to meet the needs of Ohioans locally and they are forced to turn elsewhere,” Blessing added.

In states where the process is not available, interested families must arrange for transport to a state where there are NOR facilities in operation.

The bill is currently before the Ohio Senate Local Government Committee.

The National Funeral Directors Association has selected participants for its 2026 Meet the Mentors program.

New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association and Morris County Funeral Directors Association member Emma Bullock of Whitham-Kanapaux Funeral Home in Rockaway, NJ, has been selected as one of 22 licensees to attend.

This leadership experience will take place from April 14 to 17 in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with NFDA’s Advocacy Summit.

Meet the Mentors brings together early-career funeral service professionals for an immersive experience focused on leadership development, mentorship and advocacy.

The 2026 Meet the Mentors class will be guided by:

• Amie LM Swenson, Jerome, ID
• Tracy McAdams, Canal Winchester, OH
• Anna F. Zvirman-Nesbit, Pittsburgh, PA

Through candid conversation and discussion, these professionals will offer practical insights on leading, navigating business challenges, engaging communities and building meaningful, sustainable careers in funeral service.

The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner has provided medical facilities in New Jersey with guidelines for determining which deaths are reportable to the OCSME.

While it seems obvious that an unnatural or violent death should be reported to the medical examiner, the guidelines provide more specific definitions of what constitutes a violent death. Broadly, a violent death is “any death involving physical trauma, not just homicide.”

Violent death is applicable in the following circumstances:

• Criminal violence
• Accident, homicide or suicide
• Motor vehicle accident
• Drug overdose
• Fall with injury from any height
• Death where suspicion of abuse exists
• Death due to thermal, chemical, electrical or radiation injury

Other reportable deaths include:

• Death within 24 hours of admission to a hospital or nursing home
• Death of a child under 18 years of age from any cause
• Sudden or unexpected death of an infant, child under the age of three or fetal death occurring without medical attendance
• Death from a cause or causes that might constitute a threat to public health or safety
• Death not caused by readily recognizable disease, disability or infirmity
• Death in custody or ward of a jail, correction facility, psychiatric hospital or state developmental center
• Occupational illness or injury

If funeral directors suspect that a decedent meets any of these criteria, they should ask whether the case has been reported to the medical examiner for the area in which the medical facility is located.

Additional information can be obtained by clicking on ocsme.nj.gov.

Crematory owners in Maryland are charged with mishandling the remains of fetuses and an infant. Middlemen in Israel are charging for the removal of remains that under Israeli law should be provided for free. And a beautician in Australia decided to become a funeral director after seeing the poor condition of her late grandmother’s body. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Crematory Owners Charged with Mishandling the Bodies of Fetuses, Infant
By Joe Heim (The Washington Post)
Maryland State Police have arrested the operators of Heaven Bound Cremation Services, alleging that they mishandled the remains of seven fetuses and a 2-month-old infant, according to a statement from the department. Read more here.

Texas Families Are Opting for Cremations over Burials
By Carly Mallenbaum and Asher Price (Axios Austin)
Cremations are now twice as common as burials in the U.S., reversing a norm from two decades ago, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. Why it matters: Shifting attitudes around religion, cost and the environment are reshaping how Americans and specifically residents of Austin, TX, handle death. Read more here.

Indian Court Sets Deadline to Ease Burial Ground Shortage
By Michael Gonsalves (Union of Catholic Asian News)
The top court in the western Indian state of Maharashtra has ordered the government to hand over land reserved for burial grounds to local authorities and have these facilities ready within two years to overcome a chronic shortage affecting Christian and Muslim minority communities. Read more here.

Private Middlemen Charge Grieving Families Thousands to Remove Deceased Loved Ones
By Shilo Freid (Ynet News)
Private intermediaries and ambulance companies have been charging grieving families hundreds and even thousands of shekels to transport the deceased from their homes in Israel, despite Israeli law mandating that such removals within a local burial society’s jurisdiction be provided free of charge. Read more here.

Beauty Professional Decided to Become a Mortician After Seeing Her Grandma’s “Gray and Waxy” Body at Her Funeral
Toria Sheffield (People)
An Australian woman decided on an unconventional career path after a life-changing moment as a teenager. Danielle Calvaresi, a mortician, said she attended her grandmother’s funeral when she was 13 years old and was struck by the fact that her grandma looked disturbingly “gray and waxy.” "I just began a fascination, and I wanted to be able to do the job so people would be able to have a positive last view of their loved one. Because I think that is really, really important, because it will always stay with you if it's negative," she explained. Read more here.

Rhode Island Hospital Sued after Released Wrong Body to Funeral Home
By Alexandra Leslie (News Nation Now)
The family of a Providence, RI, woman who died in a fire in December 2025 is suing Rhode Island Hospital and a local funeral home after discovering the wrong remains were released and buried. The family’s attorney, Paul Sullivan, said Emilia Severino was one of two victims in a deadly Christmas Day fire. Read more here.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration curtailed its inspections of worksites by 20 percent and the issuance of noncompliance fines by 43 percent in 2025, according to recently released data.

The numbers compiled during the first year of the administration of President Donald J. Trump provide an empirical touchpoint to a pullback in the overall regulatory environment overseen by the federal government. Some Democrats in Congress criticized the Department of Labor, of which OSHA is a part, for dismantling efforts to provide safe work environments for employees.

The pullback in inspections and penalties is “threatening the agency’s ability to effectively oversee more than 8 million worksites across the country,” a letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer from six Democratic senators stated.

Of particular concern to the senators was OSHA’s plan to abandon some mandates concerning the use and fitting of personal protective equipment for workers who are at risk for exposure to dangerous chemicals and substances.

“You have proposed rolling back medical evaluation requirements for filtering facepiece respirators and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators for workers who work in environments where respirators are required, as well as loosening respirator requirements for workers exposed to dangerous materials like lead, asbestos, and formaldehyde, as well as chemicals known to be carcinogens,” the senators wrote to Chavez-DeRemer. “This means that workers will no longer be screened for undiagnosed medical conditions that could make wearing a respirator difficult or dangerous.”

Funeral home workers who can be exposed to formaldehyde used in embalming could be affected by any change in regulations requiring PPE and respirators.

An independent study of the overall regulatory environment for workers corroborated the data released by the senators. The study by Good Jobs First, an advocacy organization for workers’ rights, also decried the decrease in wage-and-hour investigations and protections. Specifically, Good Jobs First found that wage-and-hour penalties imposed during 2025 had decreased 94 percent year over year.

“The [Department of Labor] Wage and Hour Division made several rule changes earlier this year that have likely contributed to the nosedive in penalties,” Good Jobs First explained in a press release. “It stopped enforcing rules against misclassification of independent contractors (i.e., challenging so-called “1099” workers who should actually be considered employees); ended its practice of seeking liquidated damages (remedies beyond back wages); and waived civil penalties for employers who self-report wage violations.”

But it was workplace safety issues that were paramount for the senators. They noted in their letter that daily workplace deaths were 60 percent lower than what they were in 1970, when the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon.

The rollback of OSHA regulations could tempt employers to take shortcuts when it comes to worker safety, the senators argued.

“If employers know that they are unlikely to face hefty fines, they may be less likely to adhere to safety standards that keep American workers safe in their places of employment,” the senators said.

But some Republicans in Congress have argued that OSHA is guilty of overreach and exceeding its statutory mandates.

“[I]n recent years we have seen a regulatory approach that in many cases may have gone beyond OSHA's statutory authority under the Occupational Safety and Health Act,” U.S. Representative Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) argued during a May 2025 hearing. “While these actions may have been well intentioned, they often created confusion or imposed overly broad mandates that did not meet the realities of the industries affected, especially for small businesses.”

By Welton Hong

At some point, nearly every funeral home owner asks the same question: Does anyone still care about the Better Business Bureau seal?

With Google reviews, social proof and online reputation now driving most consumer decisions, the value of an accreditation from the BBB may not seem to make sense anymore. However, when it comes to funeral service, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.

The honest answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no. The value depends largely on where your funeral home is in its growth cycle, who you serve and how competitive your market is.

What BBB Accreditation Actually Signals

BBB accreditation does not mean the organization has audited your embalming practices, verified your facilities or certified the quality of your services. That misconception still exists among consumers, but it’s not what the BBB seal represents.

Instead, accreditation means you are:

• Paying annual dues to the BBB
• Agreeing to follow its established Standards of Trust
• Committing to transparency, ethical advertising and proper complaint resolution

In return, your funeral home is allowed to display the BBB Accredited Business seal on your website and marketing materials.

What that seal communicates to families–especially older families–is simple: This business is willing to be held accountable.

In industries such as funeral service, that promise alone can carry meaningful weight.

Why BBB Still Matters to Certain Families

While younger generations are conditioned to trust star ratings and online reviews, baby boomers and consumers aged 55 and over grew up with the BBB as a primary consumer protection authority. For them, the BBB logo still signals legitimacy, stability and professionalism.

And those demographics overlap heavily with funeral decision-makers.

For a grieving spouse, adult child, or prearrangement shopper in that age group, seeing the BBB seal can quietly reinforce the idea that:

• Your funeral home is established
• You operate transparently
• You will handle problems fairly if something goes wrong

In a moment when families are searching for emotional certainty, that extra layer of reassurance can matter.

The Cost of BBB Accreditation

BBB accreditation is not inexpensive, and cost is often the first objection funeral owners raise.

Pricing varies by market and size, but generally accreditation will cost a smaller firm $500 to $1,500. Larger firms may potentially have to pay up to $4,000.

This is not a one-time fee; it is an ongoing annual expense.

That cost alone brings up the question we started with: Is it worth it?

Where BBB Accreditation Helps the Most

There is one scenario where BBB accreditation makes the most sense: the early stages of growth.

If your funeral home is new to the market, if it has limited Google reviews or if you are competing against long-established firms, then BBB accreditation can act as an early trust substitute.

When families don’t see many Google reviews or recognizable credibility markers, the BBB seal can help fill that gap. It gives your website an immediate signal that you are serious, legitimate and accountable, especially before your online reputation has fully matured.

In other words, BBB accreditation can help buy you trust while you earn it elsewhere.

The Limitations Funeral Homes Must Understand

Here is where expectations often need recalibration.

BBB accreditation:

• Does not improve your Google rankings
• Does not replace the need for online reviews
• Does not verify service quality
• Does not outweigh negative Google feedback

Today’s consumers, especially adult children making arrangements, care far more about what recent families say on Google than what seal appears in your website footer.

A BBB badge cannot compensate for poor online reputation management, inconsistent service or unanswered reviews.

If your funeral home has minimal Google presence, unresolved negative reviews or no reputation strategy at all, accreditation alone will not solve those problems.

When the ROI Starts to Diminish

As your funeral home grows and accumulates, the incremental value of the BBB seal often declines.

That means the annual fee you invest in the BBB seal will diminish as you get more Google reviews, a larger number of four- and five-star rankings and as more people start to personally recommend you to others.

Your goal should be to get to the point where you don’t need to incur the expense, because after all, families trust feedback–be it personal or online–more than an institutional seal (even one that has been around as long as the BBB).

There is just no getting around it: Reviews on platforms such as Google, Facebook and Yelp carry more credibility these days with families, particularly for adult children researching their options online.

Keep It or Redirect the Budget?

Some funeral homes choose to maintain BBB accreditation even after building a strong online reputation. And in highly competitive markets, that can still make sense.

Why?

Because trust is cumulative.

The BBB seal may no longer be your primary credibility signal, but it can give families another layer of reassurance.

That said, once your review ecosystem is established, your dollars may generate higher returns when invested in Google review generation systems, online reputation management, local SEO and visibility, and website conversion optimization.

These efforts influence both consumer trust and search performance, something BBB accreditation does not do.

The Bottom Line for Funeral Professionals

BBB accreditation is neither obsolete nor essential; it is situational.

If your funeral home lacks strong third-party validation, the BBB seal can be a worthwhile investment to establish early trust, particularly with older families. If your reputation is already well-established, its role becomes supplemental rather than central.

The smartest approach is not ideological; it’s strategic.

Ask yourself:

• Do families visiting our website already see strong trust signals?
• Are we actively generating and managing Google reviews?
• Is our market highly competitive?
• Would this budget drive more impact elsewhere?

In funeral service, trust is built through many small signals working together. The BBB seal can be one of them, but it should never be the only one.

Welton Hong is the founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing.