Requires feasibility study to examine establishment of regional medical examiner office facility in Southern New Jersey and collaborative development of new medical examiner education initiatives; appropriates $40,000.

A5067

ASSEMBLY, No. 5067

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires feasibility study to examine establishment
of regional medical examiner office facility in Southern New Jersey and
collaborative development of new medical examiner education initiatives;
appropriates $40,000.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing a feasibility study related to
medical examiner services and training in Southern New Jersey and making an
appropriation.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� The Office of the
Chief State Medical Examiner shall contract with an appropriate entity to
conduct a feasibility study related to addressing the needs and enhancing the
operations of the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner in the southern
region of the State.� The feasibility study shall examine:

���� (1)�� the development of a
regional State Medical Examiner�s Office facility in the southern region of the
State, which shall include an assessment of:

���� (a)�� the anticipated need for
a regional facility, including a determination of the likelihood that the State
Medical Examiner�s Office will assume jurisdiction over additional county
medical examiner offices;

���� (b)�� the size of facility
that would be needed to meet regional needs, including the size of the physical
plant and anticipated staffing needs;

���� (c)�� the advantages and
disadvantages of establishing morgue facilities and administrative offices in a
single location;

���� (d)�� the advantages and
disadvantages of constructing a new facility as opposed to adapting an existing
facility for this purpose;

���� (e)�� the costs of acquiring
and maintaining a computerized tomography scanner; and

����
(f)� the advantages and
disadvantages of accommodating on-site forensic testing services, as well as
partnering with one or more institutions of higher education to facilitate data
collection and research with the goal of informing public health policy;

���� (2)�� collaboration with one
or more medical schools operating in the southern region of the State to
establish a forensic medical examiner fellowship program, develop a death
investigation program for medicolegal investigators and law enforcement, enhance
education and training for medical students and medical residents related to
forensic medical examination, establish new graduate and undergraduate courses
in forensic medical examination, and invest in and expand graduate and
undergraduate courses in the forensic sciences in New Jersey institutions of
higher education; and

���� (3)�� any legislation,
administrative action, or other governmental action that may be needed to
implement any recommendations included in the report produced from the
feasibility study.

���� b.��� The Office of the State
Medical Examiner shall transmit a

copy of the report produced from the feasibility study conducted pursuant to
subsection a. of this section to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature.

���� c.���� There is appropriated
to the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner from the General Fund the sum
of $40,000 for the purposes of contracting with an appropriate entity to
conduct the feasibility study required under this section.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the Office
of the Chief State Medical Examiner (Office) to contract with an appropriate
entity to conduct a feasibility study related to addressing the needs and
enhancing the operations of the Office in the southern region of the State.�

���� Specifically, the feasibility
study will examine:

���� 1)��� the development of a
regional Chief State Medical Examiner Office facility in the southern region of
the State, including an assessment of:� the anticipated need for a regional
facility; the size of facility that would be needed to meet regional needs, including
the size of the physical plant and anticipated staffing needs; the advantages
and disadvantages of establishing morgue facilities and administrative offices
in a single location; the advantages and disadvantages of constructing a new
facility as opposed to adapting an existing facility for this purpose; the
costs of acquiring and maintaining a computerized tomography scanner; and the
advantages and disadvantages of accommodating on-site forensic testing
services, as well as partnering with one or more institutions of higher
education to facilitate data collection and research with the goal of informing
public health policy; and

���� 2)��� collaboration with one
or more medical schools operating in the southern region of the State to
establish a forensic medical examiner fellowship program, develop a death
investigation program for medicolegal investigators and law enforcement,
enhance education and training for medical students and medical residents
related to forensic medical examination, establish new graduate and
undergraduate courses in forensic medical examination, and invest in and expand
graduate and undergraduate courses in the forensic sciences in New Jersey
institutions of higher education.

���� The feasibility study is to
additionally include recommendations for legislation, administrative action, or
other governmental action that may be needed to implement any recommendations
included in

the report of the feasibility study.� The Office will be required to transmit a
copy of the report of the feasibility study to the Governor and to the
Legislature.

���� The bill appropriates the sum
of $40,000 to the Office from the General Fund for the purposes of contracting
with an appropriate entity to conduct the feasibility study required under the
bill.