The Cemetery Consumer Service Council (CCSC) is a coalition created in 1979 and is funded by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, the Cremation Association of North America, the Southern Cemetery and Funeral Association, the Interment Association of California, the Western Cemetery Alliance, and the Illinois Cemetery & Funeral Home Association.

The sole purpose of CCSC is to assist consumers, without charge, in resolving complaints or answering inquiries regarding cemetery services or policies. Participation in the complaint resolution process is voluntary for both the consumer and the cemetery.

Industry members volunteer their time and experience to serve as CCSC representatives in their respective states.Complaints are handled by the state committees, with the national CCSC office in the Washington, D.C. area being the overall coordinator of the project and the central contact point.

Complaints received by the national office are logged in and each is given a file number for tracking purposes. A copy of the complaint is then forwarded to the appropriate state representative for investigation and action. At that point, many complaints are resolved by telephone and the consumer is promptly notified of the results. It is rare for a cemetery to refuse to participate in the CCSC dispute resolution process. Where no state committee exists, CCSC works with the cemetery board or similar government agency to assist the consumer.

The Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, various state consumer protection agencies and offices of attorneys general are periodically notified of CCSC activities and are among the major sources for consumer referrals. CCSC is listed in the Consumer’s Resource Handbook, a U.S. government publication that is circulated to public libraries and consumer assistance agencies throughout the nation.

The CCSC is now in its 38th year of operation and continues to improve its effectiveness to assist consumers. An increasing number of calls originate as referrals from the Better Business Bureau and similar organizations. The CCSC also contacts members of Congress to advise them of the assistance and information that the Council can offer their constituents.

Download form to mail or fax in. Download a Complaint Form.

You may also contact CCSC using the Contact Us page, and choose “Consumer Questions and Complaint Resolution Services,” or you can call 800.645.7700.   For more information visit https://iccfa.com/contact/complaint-resolution-services/.

If you have a complaint or need specific information, please contact the Cemetery Manager directly. Our experience as well as that of other groups such as the Better Business Bureaus and government agencies is that problems are often settled promptly when families simply call the cemetery.

The question of whether or not someone at a cemetery should acquire and hold a non-commercial pesticide applicator license is determined by what type of pesticides or herbicides the cemetery uses if someone at the cemetery will be the one applying the chemicals.

The Texas Agricultural Code states:
Sec. 76.105. LICENSE REQUIRED.
(a) Except as provided by Section 76.003(e), a person may not purchase or use a restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticide or regulated herbicide unless the person is:
(1) licensed as a commercial applicator, noncommercial applicator, or private applicator and authorized by the license to purchase or use the restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticide or regulated herbicide in the license use categories covering the proposed pesticide use;
(2) an individual acting under the direct supervision of a licensed applicator, except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section and by Sections 76.003(e) and 76.116(f); or
(3) a certified private applicator as defined in Section 76.112(j) of this code.

Cemeteries are not exempt from this law.

If the cemetery uses general use pesticides that can be purchased and used by the general public, then no applicator license is required.

However, if the cemetery purchases and uses any of the following, then a license is required:

• Restricted-Use pesticides will state “restricted-use” on the product label as required by the EPA. They may only be purchased and used by certified pesticide applicators or people under their direct supervision.
• State-Limited-Use pesticides contain certain active ingredients that have the potential to cause adverse effects to nontargeted vegetation and are classified as SLU when distributed in containers larger than one quart liquid or 2 pounds dry or solid. Also includes pesticides or devices for predation control.
• Regulated Herbicides are designated by the Department of Agriculture. If used as directed or in accordance with widespread and commonly recognized practice, these herbicides require additional restrictions to prevent a hazard to desirable vegetation caused by drift or an uncontrolled application.

Under law only the licensed applicator or a person under the direct supervision of the licensed applicator can purchase or use those pesticides. There are rather onerous reporting regulations that must be followed by a holder of an applicator’s license. Note that even if you are applying a general use pesticide that can be purchased and used by the general public, if you are a licensed applicator, you must still keep the following records of all pesticide and herbicide applications. The reporting requirements are set out below.

The Texas Administrative Code states:
Rule §7.33 RECORDS OF APPLICATION.

(a) The following records of pesticide use shall be maintained for a period of two years:
(1) A person required by the Act to be licensed as a commercial applicator or a noncommercial applicator shall maintain records of each pesticide application regardless of the use classification of the pesticide applied . . . .

(b) The record of each pesticide use required by this section shall contain:
(1) the date of the application;
(2) the beginning time for the application;
(3) the name of the person for whom the application was made;
(4) the location of the land where the application was made stated in a manner that would permit inspection by an authorized party;
(5) for each pesticide applied:
(A) the product name;
(B) the product EPA registration number;
(C) the rate of product per unit;
(D) the total volume of spray mix, dust, granules, or other materials applied per unit;
(E) the name of the pest for which the product was used;

(6) the site treated (e.g., name of crop, kind of animal, etc.);
(7) total acres or volume of area treated (e.g., acre, square feet, number of head, etc.);
(8) wind direction and velocity and air temperature;
(9) the FAA “N” number for aerial application equipment or identification number or decal number for other types of application equipment;
(10) the name and department license number of the applicator responsible for the application and, if different, the name of the person actually making the application; and
(11) the spray permit number for regulated herbicides applied in a regulated county.

Getting an applicator’s license can also be an onerous process with classes, studying, testing and fees involved. Keeping your license, which expires annually and requires continuing education hours as well as annual fees, can also be a yearly headache. So the question comes down simply to whether or not the cemetery upkeep requires the application of those chemicals that are restricted and regulated by statute. If not, then there is no need to acquire and keep the applicator’s license.

Yes. Contact your local health department for more information.

No, in Texas the perpetual care fee only covers the cemetery grounds and mausoleums. Markers are not covered. Cemeteries frequently have a separate care fund for markers but it is not required by statute or regulated by the Department of Banking.

The statutes do not provide for mandatory cancellation provisions. In most instances, the cemetery will not allow the purchaser to cancel a contract and thus no refund options are available.

No, there is no price regulation in the cemetery industry.

If the cemetery’s rules and regulations require the use of an outer burial container you must have one for burial. It is a decision made by the individual cemetery.

A lawn crypt is a subsurface burial container installed in multiple units that has a system for drainage and moisture control. Lawn crypts may only be sold in dedicated lawn crypt gardens.

Yes, a perpetual care cemetery must begin construction of a mausoleum on or before a date that is 48 months after the date of the first pre-developed sale and shall complete construction on or before a date that is 60 months after the date of the first pre-developed sale.

[Texas Health & Safety Code §711.061 et seq]