For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Contact: Office of Communications, Communications@MyFloridaCFO.com, 850.413.2842

**PHOTO RELEASE**

CFO Patronis: Funeral Home Reforms Vital to Serving Floridians in Greatest Time of Need

~ CFO Testified in Senate Committee to Enhance Funeral Home Oversight following Marion Graham Mortuary Investigation ~

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis testified in support of Senate Bill 1098 during the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. Among other provisions, the bill creates vital reforms to Florida’s funeral industry to give the Department of financial Services (DFS) greater emergency authority and oversight over funeral homes and pre-need contracts following the recent investigation into the abandoned Marion Graham Mortuary in Jacksonville. Watch the CFO’s remarks on The Florida Channel, click HERE.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Following the alarming findings at the Marion Graham Mortuary in Jacksonville, my team immediately began working with our legislative partners to amend our DFS agency bill and give the state enhanced oversight over the deathcare industry. When a family member passes, Floridians must be able to rest assured their loved ones are treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Through these reforms, if a funeral home in our state is abandoned, we’ll have the power to immediately go in and investigate. My office will also have further oversight over pre-need contracts to ensure consumers aren’t taken advantage of when planning for funeral services. No one in our state should go through what these families had to endure and we will do everything in our power to ensure the perpetrators are held accountable and the law is changed so this never happens again in Florida.

“I want to thank Senator Nick DiCeglie for his support of these good measures and for his hard work in helping push this bill through to the finish line. We have a lot of amazing people at DFS working every day to ensure accountability in the death care industry and assisting Floridians when laying their loved ones to rest.”

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About CFO Jimmy Patronis  
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS).