This bill amends New Jersey law regarding the handling of unclaimed bodies by allowing counties to opt for cremation as a method of disposition, in addition to traditional burial. It specifies that if a decedent has an ascertainable estate, the costs of burial or cremation will be covered by that estate. If no estate is available, the financial responsibility falls to the surviving spouse or parent, or, in their absence, the county. The bill also introduces provisions for the storage of unclaimed bodies by hospitals or medical examiners, allowing for burial or cremation at the county's expense if the body remains unclaimed after 30 days.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that cremains must be retained by the medical examiner's office for at least one year before they can be interred. It also establishes that if someone claims a body or cremains that have already been buried, they will be responsible for the disinterment costs, while any disinterment required for medical examination purposes will be covered by the medical examiner. These changes aim to streamline the process of managing unclaimed bodies and clarify the responsibilities associated with their disposition.