Funeral Service Test Funeral Service Funeral Service Law & Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A licensed funeral director in State A wants to transport human remains across state lines to State B for burial. What document is generally required?
- A cremation permit
- A transportation permit or transit permit issued by the state of origin (Correct answer)
- An embalming certificate from the destination state
- A letter of authorization from the CDC
Correct answer: A transportation permit or transit permit issued by the state of origin
Most states require a transit or transportation permit issued by the jurisdiction where death occurred before human remains may be transported across state lines.
Question 2: The ethical principle of 'non-maleficence' in funeral service most directly means:
- Treating all families equally regardless of financial status
- Doing no harm to the families or communities served (Correct answer)
- Accurately representing all services and their costs
- Respecting the cultural and religious wishes of the family
Correct answer: Doing no harm to the families or communities served
Non-maleficence is the duty to avoid causing harm, which in funeral service means not taking actions that injure families financially, emotionally, or through negligence.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'preneed funeral contracts' regulated at the state level?
- Contracts signed immediately after death occurs
- Agreements made in advance of death to pre-arrange and often pre-pay for funeral services (Correct answer)
- Insurance policies that pay for any death-related expense
- Government programs that fund indigent burials
Correct answer: Agreements made in advance of death to pre-arrange and often pre-pay for funeral services
Preneed funeral contracts are agreements made before death to plan and often prepay for funeral goods and services, and they are regulated by individual state laws.
Question 4: A funeral home employee shares details of a deceased person's manner of death with neighbors without the family's consent. This action primarily violates which ethical principle?
- Autonomy
- Justice
- Confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
Correct answer: Confidentiality
Sharing private information about a decedent or family without consent violates confidentiality, a core ethical obligation in funeral service.
Question 5: Which statement accurately reflects the FTC Funeral Rule's requirement regarding embalming disclosure?
- Funeral homes may embalm without permission when remains will be transported
- Funeral homes must obtain prior approval before embalming except in specific circumstances (Correct answer)
- Embalming is always required for viewings lasting longer than 24 hours
- Embalming consent is waived when death occurred from a communicable disease
Correct answer: Funeral homes must obtain prior approval before embalming except in specific circumstances
The FTC Funeral Rule requires that funeral homes get express permission before embalming, and they cannot charge for embalming performed without authorization.
Question 6: Under most state laws, the priority order for authorizing disposition of human remains typically places which person FIRST?
- Adult children of the decedent
- The surviving spouse or domestic partner
- Parents of the decedent
- The decedent's designated agent in a written disposition directive (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The decedent's designated agent in a written disposition directive
In states that recognize written disposition directives, the person designated by the decedent in such a document typically has the highest priority to authorize disposition.
Question 7: What is 'body snatching' in the context of funeral service ethics and law?
- Unauthorized removal of remains from a competitor's funeral home
- Unethical solicitation of funeral business at death scenes or hospitals (Correct answer)
- The illegal removal of organs without consent
- Falsifying a death certificate to conceal cause of death
Correct answer: Unethical solicitation of funeral business at death scenes or hospitals
In funeral service, 'body snatching' refers to the unethical and often illegal practice of soliciting business at hospitals, nursing homes, or death scenes to divert remains to one's funeral home.
Funeral Service Test Funeral Service Funeral Service Law & Ethics 3
A licensed funeral director in State A wants to transport human remains across state lines to State B for burial.
What document is generally required?