The information contained in this column is a report of the actions taken by the board members who were present during the open public session portion of the meeting only. It is not a transcript of the official board minutes or an official record of attendance. It does not address board member attendance or actions taken during the executive session that typically follow the open session and are closed to the public.

April 16, 2026, 9:30 a.m.

Members Present

Paul M. Desbiens, chair; Deborah Santangelo, vice-chair; Rabbi Jay M. Kornsgold; Jeffrey S. Kasko, Linda McGloin; and Anthony Menafro.

Executive Staff Present

Quin Archer, executive director; Dan Roman, deputy attorney general; Nicole Parreli, regulatory analyst.

Public

Matt Halpin, New Jersey Cemetery Association; George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP, and Jonathan R. Bender, New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association and 16 other members of the public.

Approval of Public Meeting Minutes

The Board approved the public session minutes of the February 12, 2026, meeting.

Executive Directors Report

Six complaints have been received since January 1, 2026.

The Regulations Committee met February 24 and March 24 regarding the Cemetery Board’s sunset of regulations and the new natural organic reduction regulations.

Old Business

Ewing Cemetery Association (CA #020), Guidance on plot transfers for Har Sinai Temple: Having previously been informed that both parties must update the Board in writing, every two months, regarding the transfer of an approximate 1,800 plots, there still is no resolution regarding the pending merger, dissolution or liquidation of two religious organization bulk-sale grave owners.

Fairmount Cemetery Crematory (CA #020), Closure of Crematory: As an FYI, Fairmount Cemetery, Newark, has notified the Board of its crematory closure and the cemetery’s intent to remove the stacks from the roof, allowing the retorts to sit dormant.

Ewing Cemetery Association (CA #003), Civil Litigation: Also, as an FYI, Ewing Cemetery informed the Board that its civil litigation with Wells Fargo Bank, which previously served as trustee of the cemetery’s funds, has ended with Wells Fargo agreeing to pay back taxes due to the IRS on its trust fund and make the cemetery whole. The Board requested that the cemetery provide the name of the new trustee.

Bulk Sales: Marlboro Memorial Inc. (CA #395) to Dibra Community Center of New Jersey (1,302 plots) was moved to Executive Session for advice of counsel. Should the bulk sale be approved, a 15 percent deposit of the sale will be required in its Maintenance and Preservation Fund.

New Business

Greenwood Cemetery Association of Millville, Inc. (CA #083), Mausoleum Roof Guidance: As an FYI, the cemetery notified the Board of extensive damage caused to the roof of its mausoleum because of one of the recent major storms that hit New Jersey. The cemetery will provide repair updates going forward.

Department of Environmental Protection, Cremation Inquiry: The state Department of Environmental Protection asked the Board if there exist any cemetery regulations regarding the use of crematory retorts for the cremation/incineration of anything other than human remains, such as animals. The Board will respond that all cemetery regulations are specific to deceased human remains.

Traci Iannacone, Cemetery Salesperson License: The Board voted to deny a cemetery salesperson’s license to Ms. Iannacone absent her sponsorship by and employment with a cemetery.

Fairview Cemetery Association (CA #088), Cemetery Expansion: The attorney and engineer representing the cemetery informed the Board that its previously approved expansion into 7.5 acres of bordering property has reduced the total number of future spaces available to 540 graves given the DEP’s wetlands designation of 1.9 acres of the total expansion. This was for informational purposes only.

Assembly Bill No. 4731: On March 10, 2026, the first reprint was introduced by the Legislature, directing professional and occupational board to promulgate rules for licensee use of generative artificial intelligence. A current version with amendments was reported on March 16, 2026. The Board voted to remain neutral on this legislation.

Assembly Bill No. 4733: On March 10, 2026, the 222nd Legislature introduced a bill which prohibits the advertising or representation of generative artificial intelligence as being able to practice a regulated profession or occupation. The Board also voted to remain neutral on this legislation.

Bulk Sales: The Fidelity Cemetery Association of Bergen County, NJ, aka Beth El Cemetery (CA #023) Workmen’s Circle Inc., to Temple Beth Shalom (176 plots) was moved to Executive Session for advice of counsel. Should the bulk sale be approved a 15 percent deposit of the sale will be required in its Maintenance and Preservation Fund.

For Your Information

Beth Abraham Cemetery Association (CA #333), Notification pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:44J-14.4: The Board requested clarification and submission of the original contracts prior to discussing this matter.

Fairmount Cemetery (CA #021), Quiet title removal of deed restrictions: Many years ago, the cemetery was deeded property by a family for the cemetery’s expansion. The deed restricted the use of the property for cemetery expansion only. The cemetery now wishes to sell the property and is litigating with the heirs of the original property. The Board will notify the cemetery that once the case is decided, the cemetery will need to update the Board and seek its approval for the sale of the land (should they prevail in court).

Public Comment

Having no additional public business, the Board entered Executive session at 10:30 a.m.

The next scheduled Board meeting is Thursday, June 11, 2026.

A new Kentucky law permits its county coroners to arrange for the cremation of unclaimed decedents but also allows religious organizations to claim the body for burial if the decedent was “known to be a member of a religious community.”

The bill, sponsored by state Senator Greg Elkins, was the product of discussions between the legislator and Chabad of the Bluegrass, a Jewish organization in Kentucky. Many observant Jews eschew cremation as against Jewish law.

The bill initially mentioned only Chabad of the Bluegrass “or any successor entity” as potential recipients of human remains for burial, but subsequent amendments made it clear that “any such religious community that has expressed, in writing, a willingness to the local county coroner that it will be pay for, or otherwise provide, the burial expense of the community’s members.”

Chabad had already offered to pay for the burial of unclaimed decedents, Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, the director of Chabad of the Bluegrass and chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council told The Jerusalem Post.

“If someone can be buried with dignity, and according to Jewish Law, instead of being cremated against their beliefs, that’s what matters,” Litvin told the Post. “And hopefully this creates a model that can be copied in other jurisdictions.”

If you are looking to improve your business, bolster your skill set and understand and adapt to changes in the funeral industry, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association has the event for you.

The 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo will be held from September 15 through September 17 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, and this year’s gathering promises to provide attendees with many opportunities to improve your professional skills and help your consumers through the funeral process.

One of a business owner’s most important questions when considering whether to invest in any venture or event is what the return on that investment is. This year’s Convention will answer that question definitively. The event is dedicated to improving your professional connections and enhancing your business, and both can help you strengthen your bottom line.

Here are some ways the Convention can help you:

Understanding Industry Trends and Changes

The funeral profession in New Jersey will see several changes in 2026 that will reshape how funeral service can be conducted and how future morticians will get licensed in the state. It is vitally important for you to be up to date on what these changes mean to you. Continuing education courses will be offered on the recently signed funeral licensing law and on the natural organic reduction law and process. Both will take effect in 2026.

By attending the Convention, you will gain an understanding of how these new laws will affect your staffing, potentially making it easier to find qualified employees, and your operations if you choose to invest in NOR. Knowing the details of these laws and processes has the potential to improve your business and keep you on the cutting edge of funeral service.

These in-person continuing education courses are offered separately from the Convention for an additional fee. Those interested in attending these seminars will need to register specifically for them.

Exploring Opportunities and Growing Your Business

Finding new ways to improve funeral homes and their operations is constantly on the mind of the discerning owner and manager. At the Convention, that exploration can be done in one place over a couple of days.

The Exhibit Hall, a favorite for vendors and attendees alike, is a great place to start. Looking for ways to streamline business processes from paperwork and bookkeeping? The Exhibit Hall is the place to visit. Need a new vehicle to replace an aging and obsolete model? You can find one here. Interested in the newest forms of body preparation (such as natural organic reduction) or looking for better prices on existing supplies? Look no further.

The Convention is one-stop shopping for your business needs and aspirations.

Networking

Funeral service is a profession that is built on connections. The better and larger your circle of contacts, the more opportunities you have for collaboration and the gathering of knowledge and ideas. From informal gatherings to planned events, the Convention offers plenty of time for you to reintroduce yourself to old acquaintances and make new friends and colleagues.

These connections can help you innovate, navigate thorny regulatory questions and learn of new business practices that can help you save time and money. Beyond those professional benefits, the Convention provides time to relax and enjoy the event with your colleagues in a resort atmosphere at a spectacular time of year at the Jersey Shore.

The annual Convention party, the Funeral Directors Round-Up and the ribbon-cutting at the opening of the Exhibit Hall are just a few of the opportunities for you to shake a hand and make a connection that could change your business for the better.

Save the Date!

By attending the Convention, the benefits, as well as the advantages they provide, are yours. By investing in your business through attending from September 15 to September 17, 2026, you could realize a significant return in both professional advancement and bottom line.

Stay tuned to The FORUM and your email for more details on this important event.

Meanwhile, save the date. We’ll see you at the Hard Rock!

An organization dedicated to supporting women in the funeral profession is seeking feedback from New Jersey women in funeral service as part of a survey on their experiences in death care.

Funeral Women Lead, founded to offer support, mentoring and training to women in funeral service, has created a survey to provide data for its State of Women report and inform its efforts to create programming geared toward women.

The annual survey gauges the pulse of women in funeral service “across every career stage from students and early-career professionals to senior leaders, owners, and educators and suppliers, so we can measure what matters most in areas of: wellness, respect, connection, growth opportunities, leadership pathways and commitment to staying in the profession,” the introduction to the survey states.

The survey, which takes approximately five minutes to complete, can be accessed here.

Results are not tied to respondents’ identities to “protect individual privacy while elevating the collective truth.”

The survey will remain open until the end of June 2026.

A registered intern at a New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association member firm has been awarded a scholarship toward his funeral service program education.

Rabbi Laurance Malinger, an intern at Brunswick Memorial Home, was granted the $1,000 scholarship by the International Order of the Golden Rule. Malinger is a student at Mercer County Community College. He was one of six recipients honored by OGR.

“We’re honored to invest in their growth as they advance in the profession and continue serving families with integrity and compassion,” Chris Miller, chair of the OGR Foundation and incoming OGR board chair, said of the scholarship recipients.

Malinger was also awarded a scholarship by the New Jersey Funeral Service Education Corporation in 2025.

Natural organic reduction is coming to New Jersey, providing what one company offering the equipment for the process called “an attractive option as more people become conscious of the environmental impact of traditional funeral practices.”

But, as we approach Earth Day on April 22, 2026, it’s important to ask how environmentally friendly NOR is and will it replace any of the three main forms of disposition in the state.

There is a lack of empirical studies on the environmental impact of NOR, in part because the process is so new that long-range studies are not yet completed. But evidence about NOR, how it is conducted and the resulting product of the process has been analyzed. Most advocates are saying it is a better environmental option than burial, entombment or cremation. 

Natural organic reduction is the process of controlled supervised decomposition of a human body resulting in the conversion of human remains into a soil-like product. New Jersey legalized the process in 2025, and it is scheduled to become available to consumers in July 2026.

Earth Funeral, an NOR company that has been particularly active in advertising to New Jersey families and funeral directors in advance of the process becoming available, made a comparison of natural organic reduction and cremation. Earth Funeral’s NOR process uses renewable electric to power its equipment. It produces no net CO2 emissions and uses 40 gallons of water, roughly the same amount as a standard bath.

Cremation, however, produces 535 pounds of CO2 emissions and releases other harmful gases and elements into the environment.

But what of that soil-like product created by NOR? The amount can seem unwieldy, with more than 200 pounds being produced, as opposed to a relatively small urn for cremated remains. There are also restrictions on who can be considered for NOR. In several states, people with infectious diseases, radiological devices and other conditions are barred from using NOR over concerns about possible contaminants in the soil-like product.

Moreover, there are concerns about where the product from NOR can be placed. The Green Burial Council, which advocates for green burials as the most environmentally friendly form of disposition, said considerations must be made concerning sensitive land.

Human compost “may easily upset a fragile system or introduce an imbalance of nutrients, achieving precisely the opposite of the goal,” the Green Burial Council concluded. “It’s important to have thought through the research concerning what we know about forest restoration.”

Most states, including New Jersey, are putting restrictions on the use of the soil-like product and where it can be placed.

As with all forms of body treatment and disposition methods, NOR is not completely carbon neutral. Even if the electricity used is renewable, there are environmental costs to generating it and transporting it. There is also an environmental impact to building the equipment, called vessels, used to effect the accelerated decomposition of a body. In addition, decedents must be transported to the NOR facility and the resulting product must be transported once the process is completed.

Still, the evidence that exists shows that NOR is a more environmentally friendly process than several other forms of disposition, outside of green burial, which involves the placement of unembalmed bodies, without vaults or standard caskets, in cemeteries within natural settings.