Section 479.13 - Practice without license; exceptions(a) No person shall practice as a funeral director as defined herein, in this Commonwealth unless he holds a valid license so to do as provided in this act. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the following persons when acting under the direction and supervision of a licensed funeral director:
(1) Employees of any cemetery or crematory whose duties or business extend no further.(2) Persons acting under the orders of commissioned medical officers of any branch of the armed forces of the United States.(3) Persons disposing of the bodies of deceased persons lawfully placed at the disposition of legally organized medical, surgical or other institutions for the benefit of science.(4) Persons disposing of the bodies of deceased persons under the authority and direction of the Department of Health of this Commonwealth in times of actual epidemic or public calamity.(b) No person other than a licensed funeral director or a resident interne shall prepare or embalm the body of any deceased person.(c) No person other than a licensed funeral director shall, directly or indirectly, or through an agent, offer to or enter into a contract with a living person to render funeral services to such person when needed. If any such licensed funeral director shall accept any money for such contracts, he shall, forthwith, either deposit the same in an escrow account in, or transfer the same in trust to, a banking institution in this Commonwealth, conditioned upon its withdrawal or disbursement only for the purposes for which such money was accepted. This subsection does not apply to a contract by a bona fide institution that it will provide professional funeral services for persons who may die while inmates of the institution, if such contract is made as a part of its contract for housing, maintaining and caring for its inmates.(d) Tentative funeral arrangements after a death has occurred can be made by an unlicensed member of the funeral home staff in the event the licensed funeral director is temporarily absent.1952, Jan. 14, P.L. (1951) 1898, § 13. Amended 1953, July 25, P.L. 592, § 2; 1968, July 31, P.L. 1008, No. 295, §§ 3, 4.