Colorado Governor Signs Bills Regulating Funeral Homes After Discovery of 190 Rotting Bodies

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (C) prepares to sign as bill sponsors Sen. Dylan Roberts (far R) and Rep. Matt Soper (far L) look on to bring more comprehensive guidelines into place for funeral facilities during a ceremony outside the Governor's mansion in downtown Denver on May 24, 2024. David Zalubowski/AP Photo

DENVER—Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills into law Friday that overhaul state oversight of the funeral home industry after a series of gruesome discoveries, including 190 discomposing bodies in a facility, families being sent fake ashes and the unauthorized sale of body parts.

The cases put Colorado’s lax funeral home regulations—some of the weakest in the nation—in the spotlight and rocked hundreds of already grieving families.