Pa. lawmaker backs bill that would benefit his funeral business

A Pennsylvania legislator and funeral home director is pushing a bill that would benefit his business.

The Morning Call reported that state Sen. Robert Tomlinson is backing legislation that would amend a law regulating the state’s funeral services industry.

Funeral homes traditionally earn most of their money at the time of someone’s death, and cemeteries make the biggest profit when people pre-plan funerals.

The bill would effectively eliminate the pre-planned sales that cemeteries rely on. The bills restrict how cemeteries handle inventory by not allowing them to warehouse vaults and caskets.

Tomlinson, R-Bucks, co-sponsored the Senate bill, but he downplayed his involvement.

The Federal Trade Commission said the legislation would be bad for consumers. Opponents say funeral homes would capture the bulk of casket and vault sales.