(a) The cemetery authority may appoint a board of trustees of not less than three in number as trustees of its endowment care fund. The members of the board of trustees shall hold office subject to the direction of the cemetery authority.

(b) If within 30 days after notice of nonreceipt by the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau or other agency with regulatory authority over cemetery authorities, the cemetery authority fails to file the report required by Section 7612.6 of the Business and Professions Code, or if the report is materially not in compliance with law or the endowment care fund is materially not in compliance with law, the cemetery authority may be required to appoint as sole trustee of its endowment care fund under Section 8733.5, any bank or trust company qualified under the provisions of the Banking Law (Division 1 (commencing with Section 99) of the Financial Code) to engage in the trust business. That requirement may be imposed by the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau or other agency with regulatory authority over cemetery authorities, provided that the cemetery authority has received written notice of the alleged violation and has been given the opportunity to correct the alleged violation, and there has been a finding of a material violation in an administrative hearing.

(c) (1) Each member of the board of trustees shall provide signatory acknowledgment of understanding of the role of a trustee in managing trust funds in the following areas:

(A) Trustee duties, powers, and liabilities as contained in Part 4 (commencing with Section 16000) of Division 9 of the Probate Code.

(B) Reporting and regulatory requirements contained in Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 7611) of Chapter 12 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code.

(C) Provisions related to the care of active cemeteries contained in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 8700) of Part 3 of Division 8.

(2) The signatory acknowledgment shall be retained by the cemetery authority during the duration of the trustee’s term of office.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 571, Sec. 33. (SB 1480) Effective January 1, 2019.)