This bill amends New Jersey law regarding the handling of unclaimed bodies by allowing counties to opt for cremation as an alternative to 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. Additionally, the bill mandates that unclaimed bodies can be stored by hospitals or medical examiners, and if they remain unclaimed for 30 days, they may be cremated or buried at the county's expense.

Furthermore, the bill establishes that cremains must be retained by the medical examiner's office for at least one year before they can be interred. It also outlines that if someone claims a body or cremains that have already been buried, they will be responsible for the disinterment costs, unless the medical examiner requires disinterment for an investigation, in which case the costs will be covered by the medical examiner. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the process of managing unclaimed bodies while ensuring that financial responsibilities are clearly defined.