LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3007

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JULY 3, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase; annual State revenue increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Environmental Protection.

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

 

 

Annual Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

Annual State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·       The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines there would be an initial workload increase for the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey, the New Jersey Cemetery Board, and the Department of Environmental Protection to update their rules and regulations to allow for the natural organic reduction or controlled supervised decomposition of deceased individuals, or for the placement of remains after the deceased has been naturally organically reduced.  Depending on resource allocation policies, the added initial workload may or may not augment the administrative expenditures of the boards or the department.

·       To the extent that the bill leads to the creation of new natural organic reduction facilities or the incorporation of natural organic reduction or controlled supervised decomposition practices into existing mortuary facilities, or to the placement of remains in cemeteries, the boards would incur some indeterminate annual oversight and enforcement costs related to the new practices.  Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection would incur some indeterminate annual oversight and enforcement costs related to performing inspections of natural organic reduction facilities.

·       The bill requires natural organic reduction facilities to be registered annually and for them to pay an annual registration fee, which is the identical registration requirement of mortuary operators.  The OLS finds the revenue increase to be indeterminate as it is unknown how many existing mortuary facilities will add natural organic reduction to their services compared with new facilities that are established to provide the service.

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill allows for the natural organic reduction or controlled supervised decomposition of deceased individuals.

      Provisions in current law addressing embalming and funeral directing are updated under the bill to incorporate the creation and regulation of natural organic reduction facilities and the oversight of the organic reduction process.  Specifically, this bill authorizes the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey, New Jersey Cemetery Board, and the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules and regulations to establish minimum requirements for a natural organic reduction facility and the manner in which it is to be maintained, and minimum requirements for the process of conducting natural organic reduction.  The bill requires that a natural organic reduction facility receive a certificate of registration issued by the Board of Mortuary Science.

      The bill further stipulates that the New Jersey Cemetery Board is to notify the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey of cemeteries that express interest in and are in compliance with New Jersey Cemetery Board rules and regulations to receive remains of the deceased after natural organic reduction has been performed.  A list is to be maintained by the New Jersey Cemetery Board of cemeteries that may receive remains of the deceased.

      The Department of Environmental Protection is required to perform an inspection and approve a natural organic reduction facility prior to its opening to determine compliance with regulations on the distance of sites for natural organic reduction remains from any drinking water well.

      Under this bill, a person is prohibited from operating, maintaining, or using a natural organic reduction facility unless specific criteria are met.

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS determines there would be an initial workload increase for the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey, the New Jersey Cemetery Board, and the Department of Environmental Protection to update their rules and regulations to allow for the natural organic reduction or controlled supervised decomposition of deceased individuals.  Depending on the resource allocation policies of the boards and the Department of Environmental Protection, the added initial workload may or may not augment the additional administrative expenditures.  To the extent that the bill leads to the creation of new natural organic reduction facilities or the incorporation of natural organic reduction or controlled supervised decomposition practices into existing mortuary facilities, or the placement of remains in cemeteries, the boards and the Department of Environmental Protection would incur some indeterminate annual oversight and enforcement costs related to the new practices.

      Currently, mortuary facilities are required to register with the board annually and pay an annual registration fee of $700.  This bill would expand that requirement to those facilities operating as natural organic reduction facilities.  The OLS finds the State revenue increase for the bill to be indeterminate as it is unknown how many existing mortuary facilities will add natural organic reduction or controlled supervised decomposition to their list of services compared with new facilities being established to provide the service.  According to the FY 2026 Governor’s Budget, in New Jersey there were 2,339 mortuary science licenses in force in FY 2024 and 2,335 mortuary science licenses in force in FY 2023. 

 

 

Section:

Law and Public Safety

Analyst:

Kristin Brunner Santos

Lead Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).