‹‹ Colorado Matters

Bill moves forward to regulate funeral homes and create accountability in Colorado

Listen Now
7min 32sec
A police SUV sits in a parking lot behind crime scene tape.
David Zalubowski/AP
A Fremont County, Colo., Sheriff’s Department vehicle sits outside a closed funeral home where 115 bodies are stored, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, in Penrose, Colo. Authorities investigated the improper storage of human remains at the southern Colorado funeral home that performs “green” burials without embalming chemicals or metal caskets.

Colorado is the only state that does not require people who work in funeral homes to be licensed. But after a slate of recent cases of funeral homes mishandling hundreds of bodies, there could be changes to state law. CPR public affairs reporter Bente Birkeland explains what legislators are considering.