New Jersey Legislation Proposing Dedicated Cremation Facilities Progresses Toward Assembly Vote

June 5 :
New Jersey's Hindu and Indian American communities may celebrate a major victory: a measure authorising the creation of independent cremation facilities has been approved by the Assembly Regulated Professions Committee and will soon be considered by the entire Assembly. As it is, crematories in the state cannot function outside of funeral homes or cemetery grounds, but this is all set to change with the passage of a new bill.

Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak and Committee Chairman Sterley Stanley introduced Bill A4216 on May 2, 2024, with the goal of providing crematoriums specifically for religious populations who use cremation, including Hindus and others.
Crematories can be owned or operated by a nonprofit, a religious body, or a governmental institution, according to the statute.

Additional requirements include obtaining municipal approval for establishment or expansion, posting regulations and service costs, and filing operational data with the New Jersey Cemetery Board. Also, businesses can't make or sell urns or anything else used to hold cremains, and they can't be involved with funeral homes or mortuary science in any way, shape, or form. The law also makes them keep meticulous records of every cremation.

If this measure is approved, the New Jersey Cemetery Board will conduct an application procedure and provide 12 permits to operate freestanding crematories. There are some legal restrictions that these crematoriums will not have to follow.

With the help of more than twenty-five community groups, temples, and senior associations, the Coalition of Hindu Organisations of North America (CoHNA) was instrumental in the bill's passage and was pleased to hear the news. Amin officially acknowledged the groups who participated in the advocacy efforts at the State Capitol, and he and the Indian Business Association were recognised for their leadership in advocating for the measure.