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Letter Correspondence Between FTC and the Funeral Industry Associations, 2017-2019

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Letter Correspondence Between FTC and the Funeral Industry Associations, 2017-2019 Description of document: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) letter correspondence between FTC and the Funeral industry associations, 2017-2019 Requested date: 27-October-2019 Release date: 07-January-2020 Posted date: 20-April-2020 Source of document: Freedom of Information Act Request Office of General Counsel Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580 Fax: (202) 326-2477 FTC FOIA Online Portal The governmentattic.org web site (“the site”) is a First Amendment free speech web site, and is noncommercial and free to the public. The site and materials made available on the site, such as this file, are for reference only. The governmentattic.org web site and its principals have made every effort to make this information as complete and as accurate as possible, however, there may be mistakes and omissions, both typographical and in content. The governmentattic.org web site and its principals shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided on the governmentattic.org web site or in this file. The public records published on the site were obtained from government agencies using proper legal channels. Each document is identified as to the source. Any concerns about the contents of the site should be directed to the agency originating the document in question. GovernmentAttic.org is not responsible for the contents of documents published on the website. UNITED ST ATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20580 JAN O7 2020 Re: FOIA-2020-00113 Correspondence between the FTC and the Funeral Industry Associations. This is in response to your request dated October 27, 2019, under the Freedom of Information Act seeking access to all letter correspondence between FTC and the Funeral industry associations from January 1, 2017 to present. In accordance with the FOIA and agency policy, we have searched our records on November 1, 2019, November 4, 2019 December 12, 2019, and December 16, 2019. We have located 25 pages of responsive records. I am granting partial access to the accessible records. Portions of these pages fall within one or more of the exemptions to the FOIA's disclosure requirements, as explained below. I am denying access to individuals' names and addresses and any other identifying information found in the complaints. This information is exempt from release under FOIA Exemption 6, 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6), because individuals' right to privacy outweighs the general public's interest in seeing personal identifying information. See The Lakin Law Firm v. FTC, 352 F.3d 1122 (7th Cir. 2003). If you are not satisfied with this response to your request, you may appeal by writing to Freedom of Information Act Appeal, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission, 600PennsylvaniaAvenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580, or via email at [email protected], within 90 days of the date of this letter. Please enclose a copy of your original request and a copy of this response. You also may seek dispute resolution services from the FTC FOIA Public Liaison Richard Gold via telephone at 202-326-3355 or via e-mail at [email protected]; or from the Office of Government Information Services via email at [email protected], via fax at 202-741-5769, or via mail at Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740. If you have any questions about the way we handled your request or about the FOIA regulations or procedures, please contact Chip Taylor at 202-326-3258. ~LS¼~ Assistant General Counsel 2 03-08-'19 14:40 FROM- T-034 P0003/0003 F-049 MEMORANDUM TO: Patti Poss FROM: T. Scott Gilligan DATE: March 8, 2019 RE: Meetings in 2019 Patti: Thank you for speaking with me yesterday. Below I have summarized our discussions regarding meetings and presentations in 2019: 1. Meeting on April 4, 2019. We have tentatively set up a meeting at your office on April 4, 2019 at 11 :00 am; ·You were going to check with Lois to make sure that she was available. I believe the main topic of the meeting would be the discussion of the FTC's upcoming review of the Flllleral Rule and the schedule for that review. 1 2. Funeral Rule Compliance Webinar. We discussed your participation in NFDA's annual FTC Funeral Rule Compliance Webinar which is attended by participants in the FROP program and is available to funeral homes around the country. The two-hour Webinar is scheduled for June 13, 2019 at 2:00 pm EDT. As we discussed, the FTC Funeral Rule Coordinator customarily provides a ten to fifteen minute update on the Wldercover shopping program and the overall compliance rates with the Funeral Rule. 3. October28-29, 2019 NFDA Convention. NFDA will be holding its annual convention in Chicago, Illinois over the dates of October 27 - 30. 2019. During the mornings of October 28 and October 29, NFDA offers continuing education presentations to attendees. Typically~ I have joined with Craig Tregillus in presenting an FTC Funeral Rule compliance workshop of one hour in length on the morning of Monday of the Convention. That would be October 28, 2019 for this year's convention. However, if October 29, 2019 is more convenient for you, we can also do it on that date. As I explained, the Funeral Service Foundation, which is a 50l(c)(3) organization that promotes funeral service education, has customarily pa.id the travel expenses of the Funeral Rule Coordinator to participate in the Workshop. If you are able to participate in this year's convention, I will inform the Funeral Service Foundation and it will send a letter to you verifying that the Foundation will cover your travel expenses. Please Jet me knqw. Patti, if you have any questions regarding these matters, please let me know. Scott #:24791 03-08-'18 14:39 FROM- T-034 P0001 /0003 F-048 Gilligan Law Offices 3734 Eastern Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45226 (513) 871-6332 (513) 871-4749 Fax T. Scott Gilligan [email protected] Deliver To: Patti Poss Fax No: 202-326-3395 FTC Date: March 8, 2019 Total Pages: 3 (including cover page) From: T. Scott Gilligan Re: Meetings with NFDA Please deliver this information Immediately upon receipt to the person named above. If vou do not receive all the pages, please call our office at (513). 871-6332. Notice: This message and accompanying documents are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which they efe addressed and may confain information that is privileged, confidential. Jf the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the employee ore.gent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby w.arned that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is slrictly prohibited. Jf you have received thi1; communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and destroy or return the original message to us at the above address via the U. S. Postal Service. Thank you. Funer.. ervlce FOUNDATION -Es· . 19<tS- July 81 2019 Board of Trustees 808 ARRINGTON. Ms. Patricia Poss O,a,r Arrington Funeral Group Funeral Rule Coordinator Jackson, TN Federal Trade Commission ANTHONY GUERRA" Choir-elect 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Guerra & Gutierrez Mortuanes Washington, DC 20580 Los Angeles, CA ERIC TANZBERGER SecretotyfTreowrer The Funeral Service Foundation (FSF) a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving Service Corporation lntemat10nal Houston, TX the funeral service profession invites you to present at the 2019 National Funeral BILL WAPPNER" Directors Association (NFDA) International Convention & Expo on Monday, lmmed"101P Post Choir Wappner Funeral Directors October 28, 2019 at the McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. The conventipn is and Crematory Mansfield, OH attended by approximately 4,000 funeral service professionals and individual presentations typically draw 100 to 200 people. JOAN BILLMAN" Aeming & Billman Funeral D11ect0rs Ashtabula, OH Presentation Details MARK BUSCH• Busch Funeral & Cremato,y Serv,ce, Presentation FTC Funeral Rule : Reducing Your Risk Cleveland, OH Co-Presenter T. Scott Gilligan, NFDA General Counsel ALLAN COLE• MacKinnon & Bowes Date Monday, October 28, 2019 Toronto,ON Time frame 7:30-8:30 a.m. JAY DODDS. Park Lawn Corporation Houston,TX The travel days for this meeting are Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October STEVEN D. GACKENBACH 28, 2019. Sara Moss, NFDA Senior Education Coordinator, is available to answer Maahews I ntematoonal Cocpora1,on Pinsburgh, PA any questions via email at [email protected]. R. BRYANT HIGHTOWER' NfDA Liaison Hightower Family Fur>eral Homes Reimbursement Details Carrollton, GA • Roundtrip economy class airfare from Washington D.C to Chicago MARK KRAUSE" Krause Funeral Home, • Hotel Expenses for one night: Location to be determined & Crema110n Serv,ce Milwaukee, WI • Per diem $100 DAVID MCCOMB. Inman Shoppmg Worldwide • Ground transportation allowance Fort Wayne, IN • Convention Registration KELLY MILBERGER Global Atlantic Financial Group Please submit all expenses with their original receipts for reimbursement to: Batesville, IN Julie A. Bernard KIM MEDICI SHELQ.UlST Homes1eaders Life Company Accounts Payable/Resource Manager, National Funeral Directors Association West Des Moone,, IA 13625 Bishop's Drive BRAD SPEAKS. Speak, Fam Legacy Chapels Brookfield, WI 53005-6607 Independence, MO Phone: 262-814-1537 Fax: 262-789-6977 KURTSOFFE. Jenkons-Soffe Funeral Chapels [email protected] & Cremation Center South Jordan, UT CHRIS TRAINOR With sincere appreciation, Ba1esv,lle Batesville, IN ' Indicate, NFDA Member Bob Arrington Funeral Service Foundation 2018-19 Chair FuneralServkeFoundation.org O (!)@ 0 13625 Bishop's Drive. Brookfield. WI 53005·6607 I 877·402·5900 -- ----- _,. --------·· --- _________ C•:ilie:av Law Officrs ·aNOMtdATI 2 !34 Eastern Avenn1" Ottl"1l52 .
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