An Act establishing the right of disposition

This bill establishes a new chapter in Massachusetts law to clarify who has the authority to decide how a deceased person's remains are handled. It creates a legal hierarchy where an individual can designate a specific person to control their funeral arrangements through a sworn affidavit, which takes precedence over family members. The law also allows people to make these choices via pre-need funeral contracts, provided those contracts cannot be easily cancelled or changed unless authorized by a designated person or due to insufficient funds. If no specific designation is made, the right to direct disposition follows a set order starting with a surviving spouse, then children, parents, siblings, and grandparents, with rules to resolve disagreements among family members.