10-Specifications.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS

Mortuary Services for the Harris County Housing and Community Development Department

SCOPE

Harris County is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide mortuary services for a period of one (1) year, beginning on or about January 1, 2027 and ending one (1) year thereafter, or until all goods and/or services ordered prior to the expiration date have been satisfactorily provided.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CST Via Microsoft Teams. Attendance is not mandatory, however, vendors are encouraged to attend in order to have a better understanding of the requirements of this RFP. Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should contact the Office of the Purchasing Agent at 713-274- 4400 at least two (2) days prior to the conference.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2397448565125?p=Ex1KeDUTu1mrglDxsC Meeting ID: 239 744 856 512 5 Passcode: DX2AJ7mZ

Dial in by phone Phone Number: 281-985-1862 Phone Conference ID: 772 849 187#

It is the responsibility of each vendor to examine the entire RFP package, seek clarification in writing, and review their RFP response for accuracy before submitting. Questions relating to this RFP must be submitted in writing though Bonfire. The deadline for submission of questions relating to this RFP is listed on the Event schedule within Bonfire of this project. All questions submitted in writing prior to the deadline will be compiled and answered in writing. A copy of all questions and answers will be released as a Public Notice within Bonfire to all firms. The County will not be bound by any information conveyed verbally.

RENEWAL OPTIONS

Harris County may consider four (4) one-year renewal options, renewable one (1) year, at a time based upon the same terms, conditions and pricing as the original year. Renewal is subject to approval by the Harris County Commissioners Court. Once renewal options are exhausted, the contract must be rebid. Harris County reserves the right to rebid at any time as is in its best interest and is not automatically bound to renew.

BACKGROUND

As the third largest County in the United States of America, Harris County has an estimated population of 5,000,000 persons. Over a quarter of our population are youth under 18 years of age and is majority minority. Within the boundaries of Harris County are 34 cities, including the fourth-largest city in the United States (U.S.), the City of Houston. In 2022, Texas Health and Human Services reported over 31,340 deaths in Harris County. Of those reported deaths, Harris County received approximately 1,300 requests for indigent burial assistance.

Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 694 maintains that the Commissioners Court is required to provide for the disposition of a “deceased pauper”. The Harris County Commissioners Court has historically appointed the Office of Social Services to administer the Indigent Burial Program “Bereavement Services Program”. The Bereavement Services Program is administered by Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) through the Social Services Division.

The mission of Bereavement Services is to provide a simple yet dignified funeral service and disposition for the indigent individuals who die within Harris County. In doing so, the Bereavement Services Program confirms decedent eligibility for assistance and conducts due diligence to ensure all program requirements are completed in accordance with the program policies and procedures.

Harris County estimates approximately 1300 burials and cremation services for FY 2025-26. All services performed by the vendor and/or subcontractors are to be located and completed within Harris County.

SPECIFICATION

The vendor shall provide all necessary labor, material, and equipment for mortuary services. HCD expects to conduct approximately 1,300 cremations and/or burials of infants, children, and adults per year. All aspects of this contract will be directed towards providing simple, yet dignified, cremations and/or burials on a unit price basis. Harris County reserves the right to use services secured gratis from agreement(s) with other community sources.

The vendor shall be licensed by the Texas Funeral Service Commission to perform all aspects of this contract. Vendors who have this license suspended, repealed, or in any way restricted from performing services may not be paid for services rendered while this suspension, repeal or restriction is in effect. If the vendor’s license has been suspended, repealed, or restricted in any way during the term of this contract, the contract may be terminated. Vendor shall have a minimum of three (3) licensed funeral directors on call at all times, including a full-time Funeral Director in Charge (“FDIC”) onsite a minimum of five (5) days a week. Vendor shall have a minimum of three (3) removal vehicles with at least one (1) vehicle having the transport capacity of a minimum of four (4) decedents and three (3) removal teams on call at all times.

At all times, vendor and any subcontractors are required and expected to operate in accordance with all state laws, rules and regulations set forth by the Texas Funeral Service Commission.

The services required under this RFP are as follows:

A. Referral HCD will give written authorization to the vendor to claim decedents and prepare them for burial or cremation. If HCD determines the deceased has insufficient resources to be interred or cremated with private funds, HCD will pay the rates submitted on the BidTable (BT- 47NW). If HCD determines that the deceased has private resources available, HCD may deem the request for assistance ineligible. Private resources include, but are not limited to, bank accounts, real property, personal property, insurance, and personal effects.

B. Funeral Services Funeral services shall be conducted by the vendor with the utmost dignity, decorum and solemnity, with the FDIC as designated on record to the Texas Funeral Service Commission in attendance and in accordance with applicable Texas laws and the rules and regulations of the Texas Funeral Service Commission. It is expected that each individual service will last approximately fifteen (15) minutes.

A maximum up to twenty-five (25) funeral services will be scheduled on a single day. Vendor will confirm eligibility of all Veterans and schedule services at the Houston National Cemetery, if applicable.

For viewings of decedents who are scheduled to be cremated, vendor will utilize a viewing table and appropriate funeral pall in lieu of a casket.

HCD will have full discretion to set the date, time and location of the services and interments.

Interments for decedents who do not meet Veteran eligibility requirements are conducted at the Harris County Cemetery located at 21122 Crosby Eastgate Rd, Crosby, Texas and generally occur between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. CST on the first Monday of each month, excluding weekends and holidays. Cremated remains will be released to a previously authorized next of kin upon request.

Any cremated remains not claimed by next of kin will be stored by the vendor for a minimum of one-hundred twenty (120) days or until two-hundred (200) cremations are available to be released to Harris County for interment. Vendor shall coordinate with the Harris County Cemetery, Crematory and other parties as necessary to perform funeral services.

The vendor shall obtain death certificates and burial or cremation permits. All such documents must be approved by the Harris County Health Department and be present at the time of cremation or interment if applicable. Any and all necessary certificates are filed with the State of Texas as required. Vendor may order additional death certificates upon request and payment by decedent’s next of kin.

HCD will also have a representative present at each funeral service and interment. The contract facility must be neat and clean, orderly and have adequate walk-in cold storage for up to two-hundred fifty (250) decedent referrals of Harris County’s program. In addition, the facility will have a chapel or viewing room where scheduled services will be conducted. The facility will meet all requirements of the Texas Occupations Code Subtitle L, Chapter 651. HCD management or designated staff may inspect the facility and procedures of the vendor at any time from the time the vendor claims the body until the casket is delivered to the cemetery for interment or cremation is complete with cremated remains turned over either to next of kin or Harris County. The vendor should provide access for media and/or public scrutiny at any time, and promptly notify HCD management as soon as the possibility of such media or public inquiry is made known to the vendor.

The family or friend of the deceased may provide a minister or pastor of their choice. If no family or friend is found, or at the request of family or friend, vendor shall provide a minister or pastor to provide a service. Such religious service shall be sensitive to the cultural and language preferences of the family or friend of the deceased.

The previously authorized next of kin or friend of the deceased may make arrangements to have a private licensed funeral director claim the body from the vendor. The friend of the deceased may only request arrangements for a burial through a private vendor. That private vendor shall provide to Harris County authorized documentation that only a burial will take place. In addition, services provided prior to transfer shall be billed to the private funeral director. If the private funeral director is unable to pay fees associated with the transfer of a county referred decedent, at HCD’s discretion and with proper documentation, up to $250.00 may be authorized to be paid to the vendor for initial pickup fee and an additional $150 for embalming, if provided prior to the decedent’s transfer to a private funeral home.

Occasionally, vendor may inter bone fragments and body parts obtained from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (IFS) also known as the Medical Examiner’s Office. This material may be buried or cremated together in the smallest sized suitable container and will be charged by actual weight of the materials.

Vendor shall furnish HCD an itemized invoice for services performed, stating that these specifications have been strictly adhered to, and the vendor has not received, and will not receive, any money or other type of compensation from any party for the services for which HCD is paying.

Invoiced amount for a body that has been referred by IFS, will be based on the weight as determined by IFS. Vendor must have a scale to weigh other remains, bone fragments and body parts not referred by IFS. Weighing of decedents will be witnessed and confirmed by a representative of Harris County.

C. Transportation Vendor shall pick up decedents twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, including weekends and holidays. The vendor shall contact referring entity directly to confirm decedent is onsite prior to dispatching pickup and decedent will remain at the entity until arrival of vendor.

Referring entities may include but are not limited to hospitals, nursing homes, law enforcement agencies, or IFS. Referrals received during normal business hours by staff members of the Bereavement Program within the Social Services Division of HCD are then forwarded to the vendor for follow up. After hours, weekends and holidays, referrals received by the Harris County operator are then forwarded to the vendor. On the following business day, Bereavement Program staff shall confirm referral information received with vendor. When a decedent needs to be picked up from a facility that does not have refrigeration, the vendor may receive a request for “immediate pickup” and shall obtain the decedent within two (2) hours. If a referral comes in after normal business hours or during weekends and holidays, and refrigeration is available, the vendor may retrieve decedent during the next business day. The vendor shall not charge more than one (1) $250.00 pickup fee when multiple bodies are at the same location on the same day.

Vendor shall be responsible for decedent from pick up until interment or release of cremated remains. Transportation of a decedent includes, but is not limited to, picking up decedents from the medical examiner’s office, hospital, nursing home, private home or other location and transferring decedent to vendor’s facility pending authorization to embalm or cremate. If embalming or cremation takes place at a facility other than the primary vendor location, such as another agency providing gratis services, the vendor shall arrange transport of decedent to that facility. After funeral service at the vendor has been completed, the vendor shall deliver decedent to the location designated for County interment services. Transportation of two (2) or more decedents to the interment location will be in multiple vehicles or a transport vehicle fitted with racks to securely transport multiple caskets. The location designated for the County services may include, the Harris County Cemetery or Houston National Cemetery.

D. Embalming/Preparation of the Body for Disposition Whenever possible, decedents will be prepared and/or embalmed as is normal and customary under the supervision of a licensed embalmer or a provisional licensee under the direct visual supervision of a licensed embalmer. Vendor must receive authorization from Harris County prior to embalming decedents. If Harris County authorizes the vendor to perform the embalming, Harris County will pay services based on the size/weight of the decedent in accordance as described on the attached fixed pricing quote of the BidTable(s), which is “all-inclusive”. Harris County may pay up to $150 for embalming that was conducted prior to the decedent’s transfer to a private funeral home if performed prior to transfer to a private funeral home and if the private funeral home is unable to pay the fee.

Whenever possible and applicable the cultural and religious preferences of decedent and next of kin will be taken into account with regards to embalming. After vendor cleans, prepares and/or embalms the decedent, the decedent will be groomed and dressed in presentable attire and posed in a natural position when placed in a casket or on a viewing table. At the vendor’s expense, proper clothing is to be provided for each decedent and each to be dressed accordingly. Clothing will not be required if the decedent is unsuitable for viewing.

E. Deodorizing and Bagging of Decomposed/ Fragrant Remains Whenever it is not possible to embalm a decedent who is scheduled for burial, it is the responsibility of the vendor to prepare the body in such a way as to decrease as much as possible any offensive odors or contaminants. This will include, but not be limited to the use of industry standard deodorizing agents on the body and placing the body in an industry standard body bag(s) that will minimize the escape of offensive odors or contaminants.

F. Caskets Caskets for burial will be utilized based on the size of the decedent per the following, such charges must be included as fixed prices in the BidTable(s):

1. Premature infant up to 12 months old, also bone fragments and body parts up to 25 pounds, type A1 casket,

2. Bodies up to 250 pounds, also bone fragments and body parts 26 pounds or more, type A2 casket,

3. Bodies from 251 – 350 pounds, type A3 casket,

4. Bodies from 351 - 450 pounds, type A4 casket,

5. Bodies from 451 – 550 pounds, type A5 casket,

6. Bodies over 551 pounds, type A6 casket.

Caskets will be either metal or wood, lined with doeskin or some comparable material, appropriate to body size and complete with pillow and bed. With oversized caskets for decedents who weigh over 450 pounds, more substantial materials will be utilized as long as the container meets generally approved industry standards.

Occasionally, vendor may inter bone fragments and body parts obtained from IFS. This material may be buried or cremated together in the smallest sized suitable container and will be charged by actual weight of the materials in accordance with state law and the rules and regulations of the Texas Funeral Service Commission.

G. Cremation Vendor shall transport the body to a licensed crematory in an appropriate vehicle. The body will be prepared as is normal and customary under the supervision of appropriate personnel as required by state law and any rules and regulations of the Texas Funeral Service Commission. Cremated remains will be placed in a suitable, but simple container in which the remains will be stored. Shipping of cremated remains, other than to the county cemetery grounds, will be at the expense of the family/next of kin.

Vendor shall maintain a log of those cremated remains that have been picked up by family members and forward a receipt of release to the Bereavement program staff. The cost of cremations shall be charged based on size/weight of the decedent. Such charges must be included as fixed prices in the BidTable(s).

Families of decedents that are cremated can receive the same brief and respectable funeral service available to all decedents and their next of kin. After a funeral service, either the family may have the cremated remains released to them or the remains may be interred at the County Cemetery.

However, if a family chooses, they may receive the cremated remains from the vendor and opt out of a funeral service.

Families may request a funeral service of a decedent scheduled for cremation, which means the cremation will not take place until after the funeral service is completed and family will arrange to retrieve the cremated remains directly with the vendor. Viewing of a decedent scheduled for cremation does not require the use of a casket. An appropriately dressed viewing table may be used.

Per state law, the vendor shall store any unclaimed cremated remains for a minimum 120 days or until 200 cremations are available to be transported to the County Cemetery for interment.

H. Shelter of Remains Vendor shall be responsible for sheltering decedent remains in adequate cold storage from the time a decedent is received from a hospital, nursing home, private home, IFS, etc. until decedent is delivered either to the County Cemetery for burial or cremated remains are turned over to next of kin. In the event of any sustained loss of power or electricity, vendor is responsible for securing temporary refrigerated shelter. At any given time the vendor could shelter the remains for as many as 250 decedents (or possibly more). In the event of either a natural or human-made disaster that causes damage to the cemetery grounds, all efforts will be made to make repairs and resume scheduled burials as soon as possible.

Remains shall remain in Harris County at all times unless released or approved by the HCD Executive Director.

Vendor shall have cremated remains stored onsite in alphabetical order in category, i.e. Harris County Cemetery, Veteran, To Be Shipped, To Be Picked Up, etc. Vendor shall store cremated remains until remains are claimed by next of kin. If next of kin lives out of state, vendor will ship remains to the next of kin at the family’s expense. Any unclaimed remains will be sheltered by vendor for a minimum of 120 days or until there are 200 cremations available to transport to the County Cemetery for interment.

1. Vendor capacity should ideally be in a single location for easier tracking of the location of decedents.

2. Vendor’s storage solution should not include refrigerated trucks, or other temporary storage locations, outside of extraordinary circumstances such as a mass casualty event, loss of power to facility, or damage to facility

I. Pricing Pricing shall be all-inclusive of transporting decedents, embalming, preparation and dress, shelter remains and provide funeral services as it relates to the options listed below, except when a pickup or transfer fee may not be obtained from the private funeral home. That fee of $250 may be billed directly to Harris County if initial pickup fee has not been paid. In addition, Harris County may pay up to an additional $150 for embalming that was completed prior to the decedent’s transfer to a private funeral home. That fee may be billed directly to Harris County as well for specified service.

Vendors must provide the unit price for all items specified within BidTable(s). Quantities are estimated, Harris County may require more or less. Harris County reserves the right to award by group, by section, by item or as best serves the County. In case of discrepancy between unit and total pricing, unit pricing governs. Pricing must be all-inclusive. Harris County will not allow for any other rates or charges.

i. Pricing for direct cremation (without funeral service or decedent viewing) includes:

o Initial removal of body within Harris County o Crematory fee o Cremation container o Transportation to/from crematory o Filing of all paperwork o Cold storage of human remains prior to cremation o Storage of cremated remains

ii. Pricing for direct cremation (with funeral service and without decedent viewing) includes:

o Crematory fee o Cremation container o Transportation to/from crematory o Funeral service with ministerial services at funeral home o Filing of all paperwork

iii. Pricing for traditional cremation (with funeral service and decedent viewing) includes:

o Clothing o Cosmetology of body o Crematory fee o Cremation container o Transportation to/from crematory o Funeral service with ministerial services at funeral home o Brief viewing (approximately five (5) minutes prior to service) if body is viewable and viewing is requested o Filing of all paperwork

iv. Pricing for traditional burial (with funeral service and decedent viewing) includes:

o Clothing (or body bag for decomposed body) o Casket o Dressing/cosmetology of body (or bagging decomposed body) o Funeral service with ministerial services at funeral home o Brief viewing (approximately five (5) minutes prior to service) if body is viewable and viewing is requested o Transportation to the Harris County Cemetery o Filing of all paperwork

v. Pricing for traditional burial (with funeral service and without decedent viewing) includes:

o Clothing (or body bag for decomposed) o Casket o Funeral service with ministerial services at funeral home o Transportation to the Harris County Cemetery o Filing of all paperwork including