SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3007

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 26, 2025

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3007 (1R).

      As amended, 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 (board) 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 for conducting natural organic reduction.  The bill requires that a natural organic reduction facility receive a certificate of registration issued by the board.

      The bill requires a funeral director to make a customer aware, in writing, that a cemetery is an option for the placement of remains of the deceased after natural organic reduction has been performed.  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.

      Under this bill, a person is prohibited from operating, maintaining, or using a natural organic reduction facility (facility) unless: (1) the individual, partnership, or corporation is annually registered with the board in accordance to the provisions of State law and after inspection and approval by the Department of Environmental Protection of the facility prior to its opening; (2) the certificate of registration issued by the board and the license of the natural organic reduction operator are both conspicuously displayed within the facility; (3) the facility and all natural organic reduction is under the immediate and personal supervision, direction, management, and control of a person duly licensed as a practitioner of mortuary science or duly licensed as a funeral director; and (4) the construction, maintenance, and operation of the facility conforms to the rules and regulations of both the board promulgated to safeguard and promote public health, safety, morals, and welfare and the Department of Environmental Protection with regards to the appropriate setback distance of sites for natural organic reduction from drinking water wells.     

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3007 (1R) is identical to Assembly Bill No. 4085 (2R), which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  incorporate cemeteries as a location where remains of a deceased person can be placed after natural organic reduction and require funeral directors to notify customers, in writing, of cemeteries as an option for placement of the remains;

      (2)  require maintenance by the New Jersey Cemetery Board of a list of cemeteries that are interested in placement of natural organic reduction remains;

      (3)  require the Department of Environmental Protection perform an inspection and approve a natural organic reduction facility prior to its opening to, in part, determine compliance with regulations on the distance of sites for natural organic reduction remains from any drinking water well; and

      (4)  authorize the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey, New Jersey Cemetery Board and Department of Environmental Protection to issue rules and regulations addressing specific provisions in the bill.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      Fiscal information for this bill is currently unavailable.