Modifies regulation of mortuary science and establishes oversight of mortuary and embalming science.*

This bill creates a new "funeral arranger" license category in New Jersey, allowing individuals to arrange funerals without needing to be trained in embalming. Currently, New Jersey's 70-year-old Mortuary Science Act requires funeral professionals to be licensed as "practitioners of mortuary science," which includes proficiency in both funeral directing and embalming. The new license would enable people who don't want to learn embalming (for religious, cultural, environmental, or personal reasons) to enter the funeral services profession. The bill modifies licensing requirements, including examinations that exclude embalming content, while maintaining the existing requirements for mortuary science practitioners. This change aims to better accommodate New Jersey's diverse population and increasing preference for cremation or burial without embalming.