New Jersey funeral homes are required to submit an annual Regulated Medical Waste generator report by July 21, 2026, a deadline set by state regulation.

Since 2022, the state has mandated that the reports be filed electronically, and no paper copies will be accepted.

Generators of more than 200 pounds of regulated medical waste each year are required by state law to submit the RMW generator report, but even funeral homes that produce fewer than 200 pounds (considered Category 1 and Category 2 generators) must submit an abbreviated report. The reporting period is from June 22, 2025 to June 21, 2026.

Those who have filled out the online report previously should find the process familiar.

“No changes have been made to the reporting system or the report documents,” according to the state’s website.

For those unfamiliar with the process, the state has provided an instructional video on filling out and submitting the RMW report. The video can be found here. Also, a list of frequently asked questions concerning the report can be found here.

To file the generator reports, funeral homes will need their myNewJersey site login (the same login used to access VERI-NJ). This login will be used on the DEP Online Business Portal. Reminder: Your myNewJersey account must be for an individual and not a business entity. If you do not have an online account, click here to create one.

If you do not have an account, detailed instructions on how to register can be found here.

IMPORTANT: Funeral directors will not be able to file the RMW generator report if they are using Microsoft Internet Explorer. They must use either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, preferably the latest versions of those browsers.

By regulations, the burden of proof is upon each funeral home that generates RMW. See the Burden of Proof provisions at N.J.A.C. 7:26-1.13(a). Through the execution and certification of the electronic submission, funeral homes can annually and easily satisfy the burden of proof requirement.

If you have specific questions regarding the submission of your 2025 RMW Annual Generator Report, please contact the NJ Department of Environmental Protection–RMW Report Unit via email at rmwgeneratorannualreports@dep.nj.gov or call 609.292.7081 and press 4 at the prompt.

By Dr. Jennifer Lares, CFSP

When I joined the U.S. Navy in 2007, I had been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Florida for nearly 10 years. Enlisting as an active-duty mortician opened my eyes to many things, including a new way of caring for the dead that was not so new.

I served until 2012, and while stationed at U.S. Navy Mortuary Affairs Headquarters, I supported port coordinators and families seeking burial at sea.

The U.S. Navy has overseen and carried out burials at sea for servicemembers for many years. The practice became more frequent during World War II, where historical photos can be found showing the shrouded bodies being prepared for their entrance into the ocean.

Regardless of its long history and consistent presence, burial at sea remains a mystery to most funeral service practitioners. After returning to the civilian sector with this newfound knowledge, I gradually decided to introduce it to the deathcare community. I saw how burial at sea could benefit families and honor a veteran from any branch of service in a unique and meaningful way.

Understanding what the program offers and the steps involved to facilitate an intact full-body burial at sea or the placement of cremated remains allows funeral service practitioners to present another disposition choice–one that is carried out with honor and respect.

Learning about this offering adds new information for you to share with veterans from a preplanning standpoint, in addition to coordinating this service for at-need families. Competently coordinating such a service differentiates your firm from others who may not be as willing and informed. It also gives your firm a chance to reconnect with prior families served who may have cremated remains at home and who now need a long-term disposition option.

During the offered presentation, attendees will receive resources and materials that will allow them to feel confident in providing this service within their community. They’ll have key points of contact, detailed instructions and the appropriate current forms.

They’ll also be given the opportunity to watch footage of a prior burial at sea that took place onboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. More than a presentation, this session will empower professionals to explore an uncommon, alternative service with confidence and capability.

Dr. Jennifer Lares, CFSP, a U.S. Navy veteran who specialized in mortuary affairs, offers her expertise through her website, Mullingmortician.com. She is uniquely qualified to discuss the military’s Burial at Sea Program. Her seminar, the U.S. Navy Burial at Sea Program, will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 16 and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Registration for the event is now open. Register for the 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo by July 1 and receive an automatic 10 percent discount. 

New Jersey Department of Human Services Medical Review Analyst Patricia Denko, with whom funeral directors often interacted concerning irrevocable funeral arrangements, has retired from her post.

Funeral directors seeking assistance should now contact Amy Bernstein at 609.875.1491 or by email at Amy.bernstein@dhs.nj.gov.

The main number at the Division of Medical and Health Services, Office of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, at the Department of Human Services is 609.297.9758.

Barbara Ann Condon, a former member of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, died on June 21, 2026.

Barbara was the owner of the former Condon Funeral Home in Kearny before moving to New York State. She was heavily involved in her communities as a member of several civic and fraternal organizations, including the Kiwanis and the local chamber of commerce in New York.

Barbara also served as a volunteer driver for senior citizens in Hamilton County, NY.

She was married to Jim Svec and is survived by her sons, Christopher and Andrew; her siblings, Cathie LaVance, Mare Condon and PJ Condon; and several grandchildren.

Those wishing to honor Barbara can make a donation to St. Stephen’s Church, 141 Washington Avenue, Kearny, NJ 07032. 

Kevin B. Freeman, a former New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association member and longtime Freehold-area funeral director, died on June 21, 2026. He was 66.

Kevin was a sixth-generation funeral director and co-owner and operator of Freeman Funeral Homes in Freehold and Manalapan. A graduate of Freehold Borough High School, Kevin earned his degree in mortuary science from American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City.

In addition to his role in his family’s funeral home, Kevin was a partner in Earth Anchoring Suppliers in Millstone Township.

Kevin was involved in numerous civic and fraternal organizations. He was a captain, president and life member of the Freehold Fire Department Engine Company No. 2, and he was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 1672 in Freehold.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Maura Freeman; his daughter, Monmouth and Ocean County Funeral Directors Association Member Natalie Freeman; his stepchildren, Tracy and Tommy Conlon; his father, Monmouth and Ocean County FDA emeritus member William H. Freeman III; and his brother, Monmouth and Ocean County FDA member Glenn A. Freeman.

Those wishing to honor Kevin’s memory can donate to Collier Youth Services at www.collieryouthservices.org/donate.

Burial societies in Africa are helping the survivors of decedents now as well. Owners of pets who were allegedly scammed by a funeral director who also ran a pet cremation business are cheering a new effort to curb abuses in the industry. And a cremation advertisement for a British cremation firm was banned after it was ruled to have implied a funeral service was included in a package. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Some Burial Societies in Africa Now Focus on Helping the Living, Too
By Farai Mutsaka (Associated Press)
Melisa Kasu said her mother died when the family was least prepared. Funerals in Zimbabwe demand a large and expensive send-off with food and music, and loved ones can slide into debt to avoid any public shame. The 29-year-old Kasu said the local burial society arrived to save the day, carrying huge pots and sacks of corn meal and other supplies. They even lit the cooking fire. “That’s the time I decided to join them,” she said. Read more here.

United by Heartbreaking Scandal, Pet Owners Applaud Bill to Crack Down on Cremation Fraud
By Ethan Young (PennLive)
Kirsten Magerl received a heart-stopping letter from the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office last spring. The office notified her that the ashes she received from a pet cremation company in 2021 were not those of her Labrador Retriever/beagle mix, Cooper. They were the ashes of other pets. Magerl learned that Cooper had not even been cremated. Read more here.

Soldier's Brain Buried with Body 85 Years After His Death
By Cameron Buttle (BBC News)
The brain of a Scottish solider who died during World War II has been buried alongside his remains in Germany. Donnie MacRae died in a prisoner of war hospital in1941, after being captured while fighting in France. He suffered from a rare neurological condition and, during a post-mortem examination, his brain and part of his spinal cord were removed for further research. His family did not know the organ had been removed until it was uncovered by an international group of researchers nearly 80 years later. Read more here.

Cremation Firm Ad Banned for “Misleadingly Implying” Plan Included a Service
By Josie Clark (Yahoo! Finance)
A television advertisement in Great Britain for a direct cremation firm has been banned for implying that their standard plan included an attended funeral service. Read more here.

What an Investigation Uncovered After Casket, Remains Found in Florida Park
By Elena Barrera (Tallahassee Democrat)
Tucked into the woods of a Tallahassee, FL, park is a small, unassuming cemetery that marks the final resting place of a historic Black Tallahassee family. A city crew unearthed what historians believe to be more fragments of this family's history–a story that had nearly been lost. Read more here.

Five Extraordinary and Unusual Burial Traditions
By MSN
From prehistoric caves in Israel and Greece to elaborate necropolises in Sicily, burial sites reveal diverse cultural beliefs about death and the afterlife. View slideshow here.