§ 5-33.3-3 - Designation of funeral planning agent. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 5-33.3-3

   § 5-33.3-3  Designation of funeral planningagent. – (a) Any individual who is at least eighteen (18) years of age and of sound mindis allowed to designate a primary funeral planning agent and alternate agent,if they wish.

   (b) All health care providers, as licensed under theprovisions of chapter 29 or 37 of this title, all health care facilities, asdefined in chapter 17 of title 23, all funeral directors/embalmers and funeralservice establishments as defined in chapter 33.2 of this title, and allcrematories and cemeteries, as well as their agents and employees shall berequired to comply with all of the provisions of this act.

   (c) The individual making the designation pursuant tosubsection (a) of this section shall designate a primary agent, but shall notbe required to designate an alternate agent. No person so designated as thefuneral planning agent shall be required to take on the responsibilities ofsaid designation if they are unwilling or incapable of doing so.

   (d) No person may act as a primary funeral planning agent oralternate agent for more than one non-relative at any one time except that aperson may serve as a funeral planning agent to any and all of their ownrelatives and any one non-relative simultaneously. The designated agent oralternate agent shall sign the designation accepting the appointment. A personaccepting said appointment shall assume ultimate responsibility for ensuringfull payment of all expenses and costs connected to the funeral of theprincipal from the principal's resources, or in the event the principal'sresources are insufficient to ensure full payment, from the agent's ownpersonal financial resources.

   (e) All individuals, facilities, and establishments listed insubsection (b) of this section shall be held harmless, and shall not be subjectto civil suit, either as individual(s), partnership(s) or corporation(s) forcomplying with the provisions of this chapter.