The "Family and Private Burial Grounds Preservation Act" establishes comprehensive regulations for the preservation and maintenance of family and private burial grounds in New Jersey. It defines key terms such as "burial objects," "cemetery," and "family or private burial ground," and grants the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) the authority to oversee these sites. The bill prohibits any disturbance or destruction of burial grounds without proper authorization and mandates that property owners notify the DEP of any burial grounds on their property. It also outlines penalties for violations, including significant fines and potential imprisonment, particularly for those who act with the intent to gain economically from such violations.

Additionally, the bill introduces a Family and Private Burial Grounds Preservation Fund to collect penalties and support the act's purposes. It establishes strict regulations for construction or excavation near burial grounds, requiring compliance with local land use regulations and prohibiting activities within 15 feet of burial ground boundaries without written approval from relatives of the interred individuals. The legislation allows for the transfer of ownership of neglected burial grounds to municipalities under certain conditions and ensures that any disinterred human remains or burial objects are reinterred in their original locations unless otherwise authorized. Overall, the act aims to protect the integrity of family and private burial grounds while providing a framework for their management and preservation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 45:27-23, 45:27-25