Consumer Affairs Dept. - Cemetery Board Records, 1949-1978

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Summary

Title:
Dept. of Consumer Affairs - Cemetery Board Records
Dates:
1949-1978
Creators:
Dept. of Consumer Affairs - Cemetery Board
Abstract:
The Cemetery Board was created by Chapter 1487, Statutes of 1949, which added Chapter 19 to Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code 9600 et seq. The records of the Cemetery Board consist of 4 cubic feet of textual materials dating from 1949 to 1978. The records document the plans, studies, goals, and operations of the board during this time period.
Extent:
4 cubic feet
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Department of Consumer Affairs-Cemetery Board Records, [ID number].[series number], [box and folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The records of the Cemetery Board consist of 4 cubic feet of textual materials dating from 1949 to 1978. The records document the plans, studies, goals, and operations of the board during this time period. The records are organized into 4 record series: Cemetery Questionnaires, 1949-1977; California Association of Public Cemeteries, 1963, 1966; Information on Indian Cemeteries, 1962, 1969; and Board Meeting Records, 1963-1971, 1973-1978. The majority of the material consists of Cemetery Questionnaires and Board Meeting Records. Fourteen cubic feet of Endowment Care Reports covering the years 1949 to 1984 were deaccessioned during processing because the records did not possess archival or research value (AC 86-100, AC 93-02-30, 2006-146, 1999-11-24).

Biographical / historical:

The Cemetery Board was created by Chapter 1487, Statutes of 1949, which added Chapter 19 to Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code 9600 et seq. This legislation, also known as the Cemetery Act, placed the Cemetery Board under the Department of Professional and Vocational Standards. It originally consisted of five members with terms expiring after one year until 1953. The legislation specified that members would be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The board was created for the purpose of regulating cemeteries, cemetery brokers, and cemetery salesmen. The Act, however, excluded the following types of cemeteries from the board’s jurisdiction: a religious corporation, church, religious society or denomination, a corporation solely administering temporalities of any church or religious society or denomination, or any cemetery organized, controlled, and operated by any of them; a public cemetery; and any private or fraternal burial park not exceeding ten acres in area, established before 1939.

Nonetheless, the legislation stipulated that the aforementioned cemeteries shall be subject to cemetery brokerage provisions. The provisions are outlined in Article 4 of the Act (Business and Professions Code Sections 9675-9686). They include, but are not limited to, acts constituting being a cemetery broker or salesperson; pleading and proving license in action for compensation; prohibited employment or compensation with respect to unlicensed persons; dissemination of known false statement; and advertising without license or certificate.

The board was also authorized to examine the endowment care funds of cemetery corporations. Prior to 1950, cemetery brokers and salesmen had been licensed by the Division of Real Estate, State Department of Investment. In 1971, the Department of Professional and Vocational Standards became the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Now known as the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, the entity licenses, regulates, and investigates complaints against California funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers, apprentice embalmers, cemetery brokers, cemetery salespersons, cremated remains disposers, crematories, crematory managers, cemetery managers, and the nearly 200 licensed cemeteries in the state (Business and Professions Code Section 9609). The Bureau consists of 25 staff members which includes the Bureau Chief, Field Operations Supervisor, auditors, field representatives, analysts, and administrative assistants.

Accruals:

Further accruals are expected.

Physical location:
California State Archives
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Paul Rendes
Date Prepared:
© 2016
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Paul Rendes. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: 01 October 2016.

Access and use

Restrictions:

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Terms of access:

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Department of Consumer Affairs-Cemetery Board Records, [ID number].[series number], [box and folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 653-2246
reference@sos.ca.gov
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