CPC Cemetery & Disposition Options 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes a 'natural burial ground' or 'conservation cemetery'?
- A cemetery located within a national park
- A burial site where natural decomposition is facilitated and the land is preserved as natural habitat (Correct answer)
- A cemetery that uses solar power for operations
- A cemetery managed by a nonprofit environmental organization
Correct answer: A burial site where natural decomposition is facilitated and the land is preserved as natural habitat
A conservation or natural burial ground uses no embalming chemicals, no vaults, and biodegradable containers to facilitate natural decomposition while preserving the land as protected natural habitat.
Question 2: What must a funeral director obtain before transporting human remains across state lines?
- A federal burial permit
- A transit permit issued by the state of origin (Correct answer)
- Approval from the receiving state's health department
- A notarized family authorization form
Correct answer: A transit permit issued by the state of origin
A transit permit (also called a removal permit or burial transit permit) must be obtained from the state where death occurred before transporting remains across state lines.
Question 3: Which document formally authorizes a funeral home to take custody of human remains?
- Death certificate
- Authorization for disposition form (Correct answer)
- Preneed contract
- Next-of-kin affidavit
Correct answer: Authorization for disposition form
An authorization for disposition form, signed by the legally authorized next of kin or designated agent, gives the funeral home legal permission to take custody of and dispose of the remains.
Question 4: In most US states, who has the highest legal priority to authorize the disposition of a deceased person's remains?
- Adult children of the deceased
- The deceased's surviving spouse (Correct answer)
- The funeral home director of record
- The deceased's parents
Correct answer: The deceased's surviving spouse
In most US states, the surviving spouse has the first legal priority (right) to authorize the disposition of remains, followed in order by adult children, parents, and other next of kin.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'pre-need cemetery contract' distinct from a preneed funeral home contract?
- They are legally the same document in all US states
- A cemetery preneed contract covers interment rights and opening/closing fees, while a funeral home contract covers funeral services and merchandise (Correct answer)
- A cemetery preneed contract includes embalming and preparation services
- A cemetery preneed contract is not regulated by state law
Correct answer: A cemetery preneed contract covers interment rights and opening/closing fees, while a funeral home contract covers funeral services and merchandise
Cemetery preneed contracts specifically cover the purchase of interment rights, vaults, monuments, and opening/closing fees, while funeral home contracts cover services and merchandise — they are typically separate documents regulated by different state agencies.
Question 6: A client asks about 'above-ground cremation niche' options. The CPC should explain that this refers to:
- A shelf in the funeral home storage room
- An individual compartment in a columbarium wall designed to hold a cremation urn (Correct answer)
- An outdoor memorial garden with marked plots for scattering
- A temporary storage option before final disposition is decided
Correct answer: An individual compartment in a columbarium wall designed to hold a cremation urn
An above-ground cremation niche is a sealed compartment within a columbarium wall that holds a cremation urn as a permanent final resting place.
CPC Cemetery & Disposition Options 2
Which of the following best describes a 'natural burial ground' or 'conservation cemetery'?