STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator GERALD CARDINALE
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain cemeteries to accept Work First New Jersey and SSI allowance for burial expenses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning cemetery companies and supplementing P.L.2003, c.261 (C.45:27-1 et al)
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No cemetery company authorized to operate a cemetery in this State pursuant to P.L.2003, c.261 (C.45:27-1 et al), including any for-profit corporation, partnership, association or other private entity that is authorized to manage or operate a cemetery pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2006, c.26 (C.45:27-7.1), shall refuse to accept for interment human remains, notwithstanding that payment for the purchase of an interment space, or for any services rendered by the cemetery company, shall be limited to any allowance or payment for burial expenses available for recipients of Work First New Jersey pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.), Supplemental Security Income pursuant to title III of Pub.L.92-603 (42 U.S.C. s.1381 et seq.), and certain other persons specified to be eligible for such payments pursuant to N.J.A.C.10:90-8.1 et seq.
b. The interment of human remains pursuant to this section shall not entitle any person related to the decedent, or otherwise responsible for the interment of the decedent, to membership in the cemetery company or voting rights attendant thereto, as provided in section 10 of P.L.2003, c.261 (C.45:27-10).
c. The board may suspend or revoke the certificate of authority of any cemetery company, or any for-profit corporation, partnership, association or other private entity that is authorized by the board to manage or operate a cemetery in this State, which violates the provisions of this section.
2 This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires cemeteries regulated by the New Jersey Cemetery Board to accept human remains for interment when the only means of payment available for the purchase of a grave or crypt, and for the services attendant to the interment, is the burial allowance permitted for recipients of benefits under the Work First New Jersey and Supplemental Security Income programs and certain other programs pursuant to regulations of the Department of Human Services. The board may suspend or revoke the certificate of authority of a cemetery which violates this requirement.
The bill specifically provides that interment of human remains pursuant to its provisions would not entitle any person related to the decedent, or otherwise responsible for the interment of the decedent, to membership in the cemetery company or voting rights attendant thereto, as otherwise provided by law.