Cemeteries.

(1) Existing law, the Cemetery and Funeral Act, establishes the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of, among others, cemeteries and cemetery authorities. Existing law authorizes the bureau to establish necessary rules and regulations for the administration and enforcement of the act and the laws subject to its jurisdiction and to prescribe the form of statements and reports provided for in the act. This bill would authorize the bureau to establish an advisory committee to assist the bureau in engaging consumers and licensees in its regulatory activities. The bill would require the advisory committee, if established by the bureau, to include at least one member from licensed representatives of the death care industry, members of the public, and representatives of local governments. Existing law authorizes a cemetery authority that maintains a cemetery to place its cemetery under endowment care and to establish, maintain, and operate an endowment care fund. Existing law requires each cemetery authority to file with the bureau annually, on or before June 1, or within 5 months after close of their fiscal year, as specified, a written report in a form prescribed by the bureau setting forth, among other things, the amount collected and deposited in both the general and special endowment care funds, as specified. Existing law requires certain information set forth in the report, including the information described above, to be accompanied by an annual audit report prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the endowment care fund and special care fun, as specified. This bill would require each cemetery authority to instead file the report with the bureau every 3 or 5 years, or within 5 months after close of their 3rd or 5th fiscal year, as specified. The bill would require the above-described information to instead be accompanied