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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>61603</law_id><section_number>54.1-2310</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-961</reference><reference>15.2-961.3</reference><reference>54.1-2821</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Professions and Occupations Regulated by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and Boards Within the Department</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="23.1">Cemetery Operators, Perpetual Care Trust Funds and Preneed Burial Contracts</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Advertisement</span>&#x201D; means any information disseminated or placed before the public.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">At-need</span>&#x201D; means at the time of death or while death is imminent.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x201D; means the Cemetery <span class="dictionary">Board</span>.
		&#x201C;Cemetery&#x201D; means any land or structure used or intended to be used for the <span class="dictionary">interment</span> of human remains. The sprinkling of ashes or their burial in a biodegradable container on church grounds or their placement in a columbarium on church property shall not constitute the creation of a cemetery.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Cemetery company</span>&#x201D; means any person engaged in the business of (i) selling or offering for sale any <span class="dictionary">grave</span> or entombment right in a cemetery and representing to the public that the entire cemetery, a single <span class="dictionary">grave</span>, or entombment right therein will be perpetually cared for; (ii) selling property or services, vaults, <span class="dictionary">grave</span> liners, urns, memorials, markers, and monuments used in connection with interring or disposing of the remains or commemorating the memory of a deceased human being, where delivery of the property or performance of the service may be delayed more than 120 days after receipt of the initial payment on account of such sale; or (iii) maintaining a facility used for the <span class="dictionary">interment</span> or disposal of the remains and required to maintain perpetual care or preneed trust funds in accordance with this chapter. Such property or services include but are not limited to burial vaults, <span class="dictionary">mausoleum crypts</span>, <span class="dictionary">garden crypts</span>, <span class="dictionary">lawn crypts</span>, memorials, and <span class="dictionary">marker bases</span>, but shall not include <span class="dictionary">graves</span> or incidental additions such as dates, scrolls, or other supplementary matter representing not more than ten percent of the total contract price.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Compliance agent</span>&#x201D; means a natural person who owns or is employed by a <span class="dictionary">cemetery company</span> to assure the compliance of the <span class="dictionary">cemetery company</span> with the provisions of this chapter.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Cost requirement</span>&#x201D; means the total cost to the <span class="dictionary">seller</span> of the property or services subject to the deposit requirements of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Deposit in preneed trust required upon sale of property or services not to be delivered within 120 days" href="/54.1-2325/">54.1-2325</a> required by that <span class="dictionary">seller</span>&#x2019;s total <span class="dictionary">contracts</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Garden crypt</span>&#x201D; means a burial receptacle, usually constructed of reinforced concrete, installed in quantity on gravel or tile underlay. Each crypt becomes an integral part of a given garden area and is considered real property.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">General funds</span>&#x201D; means the sum total of specific funds put together in a single fund.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Grave</span>&#x201D; means a below-ground right of <span class="dictionary">interment</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">In-person communication</span>&#x201D; means face-to-face communication and telephonic communication.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Interment</span>&#x201D; means all forms of final disposal of human remains including, but not limited to, earth burial, mausoleum entombment and niche or columbarium inurnment. The sprinkling of ashes on church grounds shall not constitute <span class="dictionary">interment</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Lawn crypt</span>&#x201D; means a burial vault with some <span class="dictionary">minor</span> modifications for the improvement of drainage in and around the receptacle and is considered personal property.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Licensee</span>&#x201D; means any person holding a valid license issued by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Marker base</span>&#x201D; means the visible part of the marker or monument upon which the marker or monument rests and is considered personal property.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Mausoleum crypt</span>&#x201D; means a burial receptacle usually constructed of reinforced concrete and usually constructed or assembled above the ground and is considered real property.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Memorials, markers or monuments</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">object</span> used to identify the deceased and is considered personal property.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Perpetual care trust fund</span>&#x201D; means a fund created to provide income to a cemetery to provide care, maintenance, administration and embellishment of the cemetery.
		&#x201C;Preneed&#x201D; means at any time other than either at the time of death or while death is imminent.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Preneed burial contract</span>&#x201D; means a contract for the sale of property or services used in connection with interring or disposing of the remains or commemorating the memory of a deceased human being, where delivery of the property or performance of the service may be delayed for more than 120 days after the receipt of initial payment on account of such sale. Such property includes but is not limited to burial vaults, <span class="dictionary">mausoleum crypts</span>, <span class="dictionary">garden crypts</span>, <span class="dictionary">lawn crypts</span>, memorials, and <span class="dictionary">marker bases</span>, but shall not include <span class="dictionary">graves</span> or incidental additions such as dates, scrolls, or other supplementary matter representing not more than ten percent of the total contract price.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Resale</span>&#x201D; means the sale of an <span class="dictionary">interment</span> right in a cemetery governed by this chapter to a person other than the <span class="dictionary">cemetery company</span> owning the cemetery in which the right exists by a person other than that <span class="dictionary">cemetery company</span> or its authorized agent. The term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">resale</span>&#x201D; shall not be construed to include the transfer of <span class="dictionary">interment</span> rights upon the death of the owner.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Retail sales price</span>&#x201D; means the standard, nondiscounted price as listed on the general price list required by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Itemized statement and general price list of burial fees to be furnished; solicitations prohibited" href="/54.1-2327/">54.1-2327</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Seller</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">cemetery company</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Seller</span>&#x2019;s trust account&#x201D; means the total <span class="dictionary">specific trust funds</span> deposited from all of a specific <span class="dictionary">seller</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">contracts</span>, plus income on such funds allotted to that <span class="dictionary">seller</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Solicitation</span>&#x201D; means initiating contact with consumers with the <span class="dictionary">intent</span> of influencing their selection of a cemetery.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Specific trust funds</span>&#x201D; means funds identified to a certain contract for personal property or services.</p></section></text><history>1998, cc. 708, 721; 2000, c. 36; 2011, c. 792.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
