The Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee favorably released bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Bob Singer (R-30) to facilitate the disposition and proper burial of unclaimed veteran cremains.

“Every veteran deserves the dignity of a proper burial,” said Sen. Singer. “By modernizing how we identify and track unclaimed ashes, we’re creating a compassionate process to ensure every veteran is laid to rest with honor.”

Senator Singer’s bill, S-3022/A-1131, amends existing law to require the New Jersey Electronic Death Registration System (NJ-EDRS) to automatically notify the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) when the remains of a veteran, a veteran’s spouse, and eligible dependents are cremated.

After one full calendar year, the DVA can use these notices to contact funeral homes to request whether the cremains of a veteran had been claimed. If not, the DVA would be authorized to assist the funeral home in contacting a qualified veterans’ organization to coordinate the release of the remains.

Read the full text of the bill online.