Bill > A5686

Introduced Session

This bill amends current law by authorizing the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey to license funeral arrangers. Unlike practitioners of mortuary science, who conduct both funeral directing and embalming, funeral arrangers will not be allowed to embalm but will be proficient in all aspects of funeral directing. The education, including continuing education, and examination requirements of the law are modified to allow for this new category of licensure. The bill does not change the current requirements for a person to be licensed as a practitioner of mortuary science. That class of licensure is still required to be proficient in both funeral directing and embalming. The funeral directing industry is regulated, in large part, by the nearly-70 year old "Mortuary Science Act," (P.L. 1952, c. 340). Prior to the enactment of the 1952 law, the industry was regulated pursuant to P.L. 1927, c 156 (repealed effectively in 1952). Under the 1927 law, the licensing board was directed to issue three separate licenses: one for embalming, one for funeral directing, and a third for both embalming and funeral directing. The 1952 law consolidated the three licenses into one, issuing thereafter a license for a practitioner of mortuary science, who must be proficient in both embalming and funeral directing. For religious, cultural, environmental, and other personal and philosophical reasons, individuals often choose cremation or burial without embalming as an alternative to burial with embalming. Over the last several decades, the percentage of funeral services not requiring embalming has increased. This bill, by allowing funeral services not involving embalming to be provided by persons licensed by the board who are not embalmers, would facilitate the response by the funeral services' industry to New Jersey's diverse population and to societal changes. As defined in the bill, "funeral arranging" means funeral directing, which includes (1) holding one's self out as being engaged in or conducting the preparation (other than embalming) for burial or disposal and the direction or supervision of burial or disposal of dead human bodies; (2) maintaining, using or operating a mortuary; (3) in connection with one's name or mortuary using the words "mortician" or "funeral director" or "undertaker" or any other words or title of like import or signification; or (4) engaging in or making funeral arrangements. The bill incorporates the regulation of funeral arranging into provisions of current law addressing licensure requirements and the overall oversight of the profession by the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey.

Committee Categories

Sterley Stanley (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee (on 11/20/2023)

Official Document