A recent change in law will provide expanded funeral benefits to veterans who die outside of Veterans Administration hospitals.

Previously, the VA would cover almost $1,000 to veterans’ families for funeral expenses if the veteran was hospitalized at an administration facility at the time of death. That benefit, called the “Non-Service Connected Burial and Plot,” will now be expanded to those veterans who die at home or in hospice care.

The new law is named after Gerald Elliot, a Michigan resident and veteran. Elliot did not die at a VA facility and lost access to the benefit because of that.

Gerald’s Law was packaged with an omnibus bill to enhance overall benefits for veterans, including the recognition that additional cancers could have been caused by military service. It was signed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on January 8, 2025.

A bill introduced in the Arkansas legislature would ban the sale of the body parts of a decedent whose final disposition is scheduled to be cremation.

The measure, proposed by state Senator Fredrick Love, is titled “Lux’s Law” and calls for fines and imprisonment of anyone who engages in the sale of body parts of decedents who are to be cremated.

The introduction of the bill follows a case where a ring of people operating in several states, including Arkansas, engaged in the illegal harvesting of body parts for sale to collectors throughout the country. Candace Chapman Scott, a former employee of a mortuary services firm in Arkansas pleaded guilty in 2024 to transporting body parts across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

The multi-state scheme also allegedly involved the manager of the Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gifts Program, his wife and several other people.

Love’s bill was introduced before the beginning of the 2025 legislative session in Arkansas. No action has yet been scheduled on the measure.

Organ donation in New Jersey has once again reached an all-time high, with 743 organs transplanted during 2024, according to the NJ Sharing Network.

The 2024 number is a 4 percent increase over the 715 organ transplants reported during 2023, the network said. In addition, the network said there were 297 deceased organ donors in 2024, a 14 percent increase over the 2023 totals.

NJ Sharing Network, a federally designated nonprofit dedicated to organ and tissue donation, said this is the sixth straight year that organ donation has risen to a new record.

“This milestone reflects the extraordinary selflessness of New Jersey’s organ and tissue donors and their families, showcasing the generous spirit that defines our state,” said Carolyn M. Welsh, the network’s president and CEO. “Their legacies live on through the lives they have touched and the gifts they have given.”

The network’s statistics show that 388 kidneys were transplanted, along with 193 livers, 75 hearts, 66 lungs, 18 pancreata and three intestines. The number for kidneys is also an all-time high. The hospital with the most deceased organ donors is Cooper University Hospital in Camden with 29 donors and 89 organs recovered.

The networked noted that there were 663 tissue donors in 2024 as well. Those donations included corneas, heart valves, skin grafts, bone grafts and other types of tissue as well.

Nearly 4,000 state residents and more than 100,000 people nationwide are awaiting transplants.

The NJ Sharing Network is in partnership with 54 hospitals to provide lifesaving and life-enhancing organs and tissues to those in need.

“We remain united in our mission, working alongside hospital partners, volunteers and community members to bring comfort to donor families and hope to those awaiting lifesaving transplants,” Welsh said.

How to Help

The NJ Sharing Network suggests several ways in which people can help to promote organ donation and raise awareness:

Register. First and foremost, people can register as organ donors. Registration is “a binding, legal document of gift,” according to the Sharing Network. “You agree upon death to donate all eligible organs and tissue for transplant.”

Make clients aware. Donation is always an option for those who have just lost a family member or are preplanning their funeral arrangements. Having materials available to give to families will help to raise awareness and promote life-giving gifts. Information about community outreach can be found here.

Contribute. Each donation made to the NJ Sharing Network helps to further the organization’s mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue transplants. Those looking to contribute can do so online here or by phone at 908.516.5566. Contributions can also be mailed to:

NJ Sharing Network
Attn: Foundation
691 Central Avenue
New Providence, NJ 07974

Volunteer. The Sharing Network is always looking for people to help. Training is offered and materials are provided to advocate for organ donation. In addition, regional groups work to educate the public on the need for donations. A list of meeting dates for training and advocacy groups can be found here.

Share stories. Do you have personal knowledge of a life saved because of organ donation? Make sure to tell others. You can simply do so by word of mouth or you can share it on the Sharing Network’s website. Each story helps make the need for organ donation more real to those who hear or read it.

A military caisson unit suspended after the death of horses was used for the first time in two years during the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. A court in India has returned a cemetery to Christians for continued use as a burial ground. And officials in South Africa are urging family members to check on the graves of their decedents after heavy rains have damaged cemeteries. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Troubled Caisson Unit Makes Appearance at Carter Funeral as Horse-Drawn Services Remain Suspended
By Drew F. Lawrence (Military.com)
A horse-drawn procession carried President Jimmy Carter's remains to the U.S. Capitol during his state funeral, marking the first time the troubled unit has been used since the U.S. Army announced its suspension nearly two years ago. The Caisson Platoon, a specialized element in the Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard, transports the remains of fallen service members and veterans to their final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. Read more here.

Marine Killed in WWII Receives Honor Burial after Identification Through DNA
By Ben Bradley and BJ Lutz (WGN)
The remains of a Marine who died fighting in the Pacific Theater during World War II have been buried with honors in Hillside, IL. The return home for Sergeant Robert Van Heck, who died taking part in the Battle of Tarawa over the Gilbert Islands in November 1943, comes after scientists were able to identify his previously discovered remains. Read more here.

Indian Court Hands Burial Ground Back to Christians
By Michael Gonsalves (UCA News)
A district authority in Maharashtra state in western India has been ordered to take back land encroached upon by a state minister and designate it as a multi-faith burial ground as per a directive the authority made eight years ago. Read more here.

Torrential Rains Damaging Burial Grounds in South Africa
By eNCA
The department of city parks and zoo in Johannesburg, South Africa, is telling relatives to inspect their loved ones' graves. This is because some graves are being damaged by heavy rains. The city has raised concerns over the state of some burial spaces as they are being flooded and headstones are collapsing. Read more here.

A Virginia Mother Shocked by Burial of Murdered Daughter
By Chris Horne (WAVY)
As if the murder of her daughter last month weren’t enough heartache already for Latoya Saunders, what she noticed this week about her grave made it even worse. Read more here.

OPINION

Green Burial in Vermont
By Bill Schubart (VT Digger)
My wife and I have discussed and made clear we want green burials when our times come. But although there are 14 cemeteries in our hometown of Hinesburg, VT, none allows natural or green burials. The nearest green burial site is in Vermont Forest Cemetery, some 40 miles away. While Vermont has some 2000 cemeteries, only 15 allowed green burial as of 2023. Read more here.

Those who participate in the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund will now have a new option of making additional deposits electronically.

This new feature is available only to consumers who authorize electronic debits to make additional online deposits to their Trust accounts from a secure location.

A few important notes to keep in mind:

• Funeral directors cannot make these deposits on behalf of their consumers.
• There is a daily limit of one deposit per business day and there are no recurring deposits.
• Each deposit must be initiated separately. 
• Returned transactions will not be redeposited by the Trust and a new deposit will be required.

The online deposit feature can be accessed through the CHOICES online account lookup web page with the CHOICES Account Number and the last four digits of the Intended Funeral Recipient’s Social Security Number. Once the account is accessed, clicking the MAKE A DEPOSIT button  will bring the consumer to a financial information and debit authorization page.  There, the bank routing and account numbers, along with a deposit amount will be entered.

Consumers will not be able to use credit cards or cashier’s checks to make deposits online and must provide an email address. Once the deposit is made, both the consumer and the funeral home of record will be notified of the transaction by email.

While online deposits will make adding funds to trust accounts more quickly and easier, the existing method of funding accounts with paper checks  will still be available. Funeral homes, when these paper checks are received, should still send them to the Trust for deposit.

Participating funeral homes should make their account holders aware of this new feature so consumers can begin making deposits from the comfort of their homes.

Those funeral homes that have yet to begin using Online Account Creation should be aware of the following advantages of this feature:

Online Account Creation

• Easily set up your Funeral Planning Choices Trust account from the comfort of your arrangement office.
• Our user-friendly interface guides you through the process step by step, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for both families and funeral directors.
• Compliant and required paperwork can be printed in office at the conclusion of the prearrangement.

Secure Online Funding

• Families may safely and securely fund their account electronically with just a few clicks.

Convenience

• Create accounts online without dealing with delays often caused by the post office that could jeopardize SSI/Medicaid eligibility.

Security

• Our Trust system continues to use the latest security protocols to protect your families' personal and financial information.

Peace of Mind

• Ensure your prepaid funeral arrangements are in place and funded (typically opened and funded within 24 business hours), providing comfort and reassurance to you and the families you serve.

These new optional features are sure to enhance your prearrangement experience with Funeral Planning CHOICES, making it easier than ever to initiate, fund and make additional deposits.

Those with questions can call Trust administrators at 800.286.3628.

The Northeast Funeral Service Partnership is seeking the input of New Jersey funeral homes as part of its efforts to gather information concerning funeral trends in the five-state Northeast area.

The survey is conducted every two years, among the members of funeral directors associations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Past surveys have been used to start initiatives such as the Northeast Funeral Service Partnership Leadership Academy and the Certified Funeral Service Employer Course.

Both initiatives were undertaken to address the pressing needs of recruitment and retention of qualified funeral directors and the development of the next generation of leadership within funeral service, areas identified as key concerns among members of the partnership

A link to the survey was sent to all REG 1 members of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association at approximately 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 13. The email came from the New York State Funeral Directors Association. It will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and contains questions about caseloads, the frequency of religious services, pricing and percentages of disposition types, among others. The survey also asks contributors to gauge the importance to their business of various funeral service issues.

If you need to complete the survey in more than one session, the template will save your responses. You must use the same device, however, to complete the survey. All responses are anonymous. Those who take the survey will be eligible to win one of five $100 Amazon gift cards.

Participants have from Monday, January 13 to Friday, January 31, 2025 to complete the survey.

NJSFDA Executive Director and CEO George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP, explained the value of surveys such as the one being conducted by the NFSP in his January 2025 column.

“Surveys offer a direct line of communication to you, enabling us to gather feedback on everything from event satisfaction to policy priorities,” Kelder wrote. “By asking the right questions, we can identify pain points, uncover unmet needs and ensure our programs and services align with your expectations.”

The NFSP, formed by the funeral directors associations in five states, is dedicated to finding practical solutions to the modern problems facing funeral service.

Results of the survey will be reported in a future edition of The FORUM.