cap on the amount of funeral insurance that can be sold from $15,000 to $20,000 and to (2) revise Montana code to allow the one-year internship to be conducted prior to or after passing the exam. These were statutory changes requested by MFDA members. However, in addition to advancing its own legislative agenda, the Association is tracking legislation related to revising the way licensing boards operate in Montana. To this end, the Governor has embarked on a red tape removal initiative that would, among other things, prohibit members of the Board of Funeral Services from serving as officers in MFDA, as well as place financial decisions in the hands of the Department of Labor — effectively removing the Board of Funeral Service from budget setting. This last provision could result in the industry being unable to control the disposition of the licensing fees it pays to operate the Board of Funeral Service as well as the Board’s ability to control the rate by which licensing fees will grow to cover board expenses and costs. The Association is working to amend the Governor’s red tape bill to mitigate or remove these provisions. For the 2023 session, the Association has hired Brad Longcake to serve as MFDA’s lobbyist. Brad grew up in the Sweet Grass hills area of northern Montana and has extensive experience lobbying the Montana Legislature. The MFDA Board is pleased to bring Brad aboard for the session. As the legislative process moves forward, we at MFDA are interested in hearing directly from you as to legislation the Association should or should not support on your firm’s behalf. And, in turn, the Association will keep its membership abreast of legislative developments on a weekly to biweekly schedule. Setting public policy matters aside, in early January, the Association submitted its written comment on proposed revisions to the FTC’s funeral rule. In addition to submitting its own comments, MFDA encouraged its members to submit their own separate comments detailing the problems stemming from the application of the current rule as well as the additional business-related issues that could be created by the proposed “updates” to the rule. Scan the QR code to read more about the proposed amendments. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/ blog/2022/10/funeral-rule-retained-ftcalso-wants-know-if-amendments-rule-arewarranted MFDA has a busy year ahead of it, offering multiple opportunities for MFDA’s members to meet their CE requirements. The Association will be hosting its annual convention in Miles City in June. Further, as 2023 is a legislative year, the Association will be hosting its biannual MidWinter Conference in Helena in February. As part of the Mid-Winter Conference, the Association will once again host its legislative reception. This reception is a great way for you to interact personally with the legislators representing you and to tell them directly what your policy priorities are. And, of course, MFDA will be hosting its popular Montana dinner during the NFDA national convention, which will be held in Las Vegas in September. MFDA encourages you to attend these great social and educational events. In closing, let me take this opportunity to wish you a prosperous 2023. Thanks for being a part of the MFDA team. ■ We are gratified that, with your continued membership in MFDA, we will jointly align our business and community values in 2023. Pub. 2 2023, Issue 1 7
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