Administrative Regulation 12.01-10

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 12.01-10 DATE APPROVED: January 13, 2015
SUBJECT: Indigent Burial/Cremation Guidelines and Regulations ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Community Services

POLICY:

Citrus County Support Services administers the County's Social Service Program. One of these services addresses the burial/cremation of deceased people who are indigent at the time of death.
 
Indigent Burial/cremation Assistance: 
The purpose of this assistance is to provide a decent and dignified burial/cremation for the indigent deceased in Citrus County, pursuant to Chapter 406.50 of the Florida Statutes. In county funeral homes receive a flat fee from the Board of County Commissioners for their services. The program administers burial/cremation services for deceased persons: 

  • Pronounced dead in Citrus County and determined by a Citrus County Funeral Home to the indigent.
  • Having no living relatives.
  • Having living relatives who lack adequate income or resources to afford a private burial/cremation. 
  • Having relatives who cannot or will not accept responsibility of private burial/cremation.
 Determination of indigence is the responsibility of the individual local Funeral Directors subject to approval by the Support Services Division. The following criteria pertain to indigent burial/cremation assistance: 
  1. The deceased does not have to have been a resident of Citrus County, or of the United States. 
  2. Bodies may not be transported into or out of Citrus County with the following exceptions: 
    1. If the deceased qualifies for burial/cremation in a Veterans Cemetery, since there are no veterans’ cemeteries in Citrus County. 
    2. If the designated funeral home does not have the facilities for cremation, and it becomes necessary to send the deceased to another county for cremation, when the intent is for the remains to be delivered back to Citrus County for disposition. 
  3. An order of cremation and a photocopy of the death certificate must accompany the request for payment from the funeral home. 
  4. Current payment schedule to local funeral homes is $500.00 ($650 for unclaimed at Medical Examiner). No attempt to recover expenses incurred by the funeral home in excess of the County’s payment may be requested from alternative sources for indigent burial/cremation. 
When a decision has been made on a request for payment of a funeral bill, a letter will be mailed to the in-county funeral home, advising of the action taken and reasons for it.

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES TO RELATED AR’s: Supersedes AR 12.01-6 dated August 25, 1998; AR 12.07-7 dated February 27, 2001; AR 12.01-08 dated June 14, 2005; AR 12.01-9 dated September 10, 2010.