Funeral Licensing Bill: What You Need to Know

Funeral Licensing Bill: What You Need to Know

The New Jersey Legislature is currently considering a bill that would create separate licenses for funeral directors who are trained in embalming and those who are not.

The bill, A-3940 and S-1635, has undergone significant revision, removing language that could have been damaging to the funeral profession. The New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, understanding the changes and challenges the funeral profession is facing, took an active role in amending the bill to reflect those changes.

Unfortunately, the bill number remains the same as when the measure was first introduced, leading some to believe the original effort is proceeding. It is not. The association has prepared this Q&A primer on the bill as it currently stands. We urge members to read this carefully in order to understand what the proposed measure means and doesn’t mean for their future and the future of their industry.

Is this the same “funeral arrangers” bill you were opposing?

A-3940 as originally written by SCI/Dignity Memorial no longer exists, and the term “funeral arranger” is no longer in play. The NJSFDA was initially hesitant about reintroducing a separate license for embalmers and nonembalmers. However, we came to both recognize and acknowledge the cultural and religious diversity within our own community of licensees, as well as the accelerated growth in cremation and nonembalmed disposition methods.

Consequently, we now advocate for amendments that mandate comprehensive training in all facets of mortuary science (both arts and sciences), with practitioners choosing whether to perform arterial embalming or not at the time of initial licensure. That choice will then rest solely with every new licensee should the legislation be signed into law.


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Ask the Manager

The NJSFDA Manager of the Day program provides members with a resource for addressing and resolving problems that arise in the daily operations of their funeral homes. Here are some matters that were brought to the attention of the Manager of the Day in recent months.

Who Is Considered Medically Incapacitated?

We have a case where the decedent’s next of kin is physically incapable of signing the forms needed to execute arrangements. She has a person with power of attorney to help her. Can the person with POA sign or should we just move on to the...
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Mailing Address vs. Residence on Death Certificates

A decedent used a PO box for a mailing address. Can this be entered as the address on the death certificate?

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Disinterments with Court Orders

I’ve been contacted by our area medical examiner and law enforcement about disinterring the remains of an unidentified body. Law enforcement is seeking a court order for the disinterment. Do they also need a disinterment permit to remove...
Read the answer
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