Note: Due to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and current guidance from the White House and the CDC regarding public gatherings, NFDA is cancelling its 2020 Advocacy Summit (this includes all ancillary meetings and events scheduled prior to the Summit). If you have already signed up for this event, visit www.nfda.org/advocacysummit for more information.
Funeral Service Foundation to offer up to seven Advocacy Summit scholarships for new and emerging leaders.
For Immediate Release: February 10, 2020
Brookfield, Wis. – Registration is now open for the 2020 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Advocacy Summit, April 29-May 1 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. By uniting at this event, NFDA members can make a final push for passage of important funeral service-related legislation that impacts the families they serve.
Congress needs to hear from NFDA members about the importance of passing the Burial Rights for America’s Veterans’ Efforts (BRAVE) Act (H.R. 497/S. 597) and the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity (CDRI) Act (H.R. 1835) into law.
If these bills do not pass before the 116th session of Congress ends in December 2020, the legislative slate will be wiped clean and NFDA would need to work with Congress to reintroduce legislation in January 2021, essentially starting the process over.
The BRAVE Act seeks to update veteran burial benefits, which have not kept pace with the rate of inflation and burial expenses, and will ensure that veterans are treated equally based on their service, not their circumstances at time of death. The CDRI Act seeks to regulate the largely unregulated non-transplant body and tissue donation industry by establishing minimum standards for registration, record-keeping, labeling, packaging and disposition of remains for the acquisition or transfer of human bodies or body parts. More information about these bills is available at www.nfda.org/legislation.
“With the help of NFDA members during last year’s Advocacy Summit, we made a lot of progress on these bills, but there is much work to be done,” said NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE. “Meeting with your Congressional representatives and sharing your stories during the Summit enables federal legislators to hear from you about issues that are important to your business and the families you serve.”
About the Advocacy Summit
Attendees will come together the afternoon of Wednesday, April 29 for a session during which they will receive an educational briefing to help them successfully advocate in support of the BRAVE Act and CDRI Act; participate in a town hall-style discussion on the FTC Funeral Rule; and hear from candidates who are running for a seat on the NFDA Board of Directors in the upcoming association election.
Following this interactive session, attendees will enjoy a Welcome Reception where they can socialize and prepare for an exciting and productive week in our nation’s capital.
On Thursday, April 30, attendees will start the day by gathering on the steps of the Capitol for a group photo. Then, attendees will join their state delegations to “storm the Hill” during NFDA’s official Congressional meeting day. During these critical meetings with their senators and representatives, NFDA members will ask their members of Congress to support and pass the BRAVE Act and the CDRI Act.
In between meetings with their senators and representatives on Thursday, attendees can visit the NFDA Welcome Room in the Capitol Hill Club. There, attendees can relax and enjoy light refreshments. NFDA staff will be on hand to answer questions; attendees can share information with staff about what transpired during their meetings on Capitol Hill.
During the evening of April 30, attendees have the option of participating in the Moonlight Monument Tour. Experience the nation’s historic treasures – like the National Mall, Smithsonian museums, the Washington and Lincoln Memorials, and more – under the enchanting light of the moon. An experienced tour guide will discuss the history and significance of each site. Beer, wine and delectable desserts will be served on the tour bus as attendees explore D.C.
On Friday, May 1, the final day of the Summit, attendees have the option of participating in Service. Honor. Legacy: Historic Cemetery Tour. During this unique tour, attendees will have a chance to visit the historic Congressional Cemetery, the burial ground for scores of noteworthy citizens who left their mark on the city and the nation, and Arlington National Cemetery, our country’s most hallowed ground. As part of the visit to Arlington, attendees can join NFDA President Bryant Hightower for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This tour includes a box lunch and, at the conclusion of the visit to Arlington, transportation to Reagan National Airport or the Mayflower Hotel.
Attendees can kick-off their Advocacy Summit experience by attending a Cremation Certification Program (optional) on Wednesday, April 29. The NFDA Cremation Certification Program is the recognized certification standard for all funeral service professionals who offer cremation. The program covers best practices for safe, proper, and ethical crematory operations, excellence in service to cremation families, and much more. NFDA members attending Advocacy Summit can save $100 on the program registration fee.
Registration and Hotel Details
Advocacy Summit attendees can save up to $50 when they register on or before April 6. Registration includes presentations, handouts, refreshments and Welcome Reception.
- NFDA Member – On or before April 6: $145; After April 6: $195
- Nonmember: NFDA Member – On or before April 6: $209 After April 6: $259
- Non-licensed Guest – NFDA Member: On or before April 6: $70; After April 6: $120
- Moonlight Monument Tour – On or before April 6: $70; After April 6: $80
- Service. Honor. Legacy: Historic Cemetery Tour – On or before April 6: $60; After April 6: $70
- April 29 Cremation Certification Program – Members-only Special: $425 with Advocacy Summit registration
The historic Mayflower Hotel is the headquarters for the 2020 NFDA Advocacy Summit. Attendees who plan to stay at the Mayflower Hotel must make their reservations by April 6 to lock in the exclusive Summit rate of $314 per night plus tax.
Funeral professionals should visit www.nfda.org/advocacysummit for the latest information about the Advocacy Summit, including a complete schedule and details on how to register and make hotel reservations. This page will also be updated with information and resources to help attendees prepare for successful Congressional meetings.
Scholarships Available
New this year, the Funeral Service Foundation will offer up to seven scholarships to attend the 2020 Advocacy Summit. The scholarships will cover two nights of accommodation at the Mayflower Hotel, registration fee, and up to a $500 travel reimbursement. The Foundation will also cover an additional night of lodging and registration fees for scholarship recipients who opt to participate in the Cremation Certification Program prior to the Summit.
The scholarship is open to mortuary science students enrolled in ABFSE-accredited programs, licensed funeral directors 40 years of age or younger, or funeral directors new to the profession and first licensed within the last five years
“The Foundation believes that early-career advocacy engagement is key to ensuring the health and visibility of the funeral service profession,” said Lee Wiensch, CFRE, executive director of the Funeral Service Foundation. “Our goal is to help students and young professionals build a broader understanding of community and strengthen leadership skills as they engage with policy makers and colleagues from across the country.”
Funeral professionals can visit the Funeral Service Foundation website, www.funeralservicefoundation.org, for more information about the Advocacy Summit Scholarships and to apply. Applications are due by 12:00 p.m. CST on Sunday, March 15.
NFDA is the world's leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
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Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org