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.

S3495

SENATE, No. 3495

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

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.