Wait … Did Maine and Minnesota Just Legalize Natural Organic Reduction?
Want to confuse the Google gods? Just search for “States where natural organic reduction is legal.” You’ll get a wide range of answers, with “six,” “seven,” and “eight” holding the top spots. Sadly (or, actually, happily!), these are all wrong, as the total number of states that have passed natural organic reduction (NOR) legislation now stands firmly at 12 — although Maine’s and Minnesota’s recent approvals seem to have slipped under the radar of the mainstream press.
On May 21, 2024, Connecting Directors reported that Delaware had just become the 10th state to legalize NOR — the third state to do so this year. Now it looks like Maine and Minnesota have joined the ranks, upping that statistic to an impressive five states this year, and a total of 12 overall, which are or will soon offer NOR as a safe, eco-friendly, and (in so many ways) beautiful disposition option.
#11: Minnesota
It appears that Minnesota’s NOR bill was signed by Gov. Tim Walz on May 24, 2024. It was part of a “1,430-page omnibus package,” which was “technically the tax bill.” It covered a wide variety of items, including funding for housing, transportation, energy, agriculture, taxes, and labor … and, apparently NOR.
Included in the bill was an amendment to Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 149A.02, which now reads “’Arrangements for disposition’ means any
action normally taken by a funeral provider in anticipation of or preparation for the entombment, burial in a cemetery, alkaline hydrolysis, or cremation, or, effective July 1, 2025, natural organic reduction of a dead human body.”
While Minnesotans will have to wait just a little over a year for an NOR provider to perform services within the state, deathcare professionals can partner with out-of-state providers like Return Home and Earth Funeral for transport to their facilities.
# 12: Maine
The passing of the Pine Tree State’s NOR bill into law hasn’t been widely publicized — probably because it was also bundled into a package of nearly 250 bills under consideration by the 131st Maine Legislature. While less than 10% of those bills passed Maine’s House and Senate, it appears that HP 341/LD 536 was included in that number.
Katrina Spade’s Recompose was among the first to break the news about Maine’s accomplishment, adding that LD 536 “became law without the Governor’s signature in June 2024.” In Maine, as in many other states, if a governor does not sign a bill within 10 days of receiving it after final passage (enactment), the bill becomes law as if the governor signed it.
Who will be lucky number 13?
According to Earth Funeral’s NOR legislation tracker, NOR bills are pending in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. Here’s the latest status for those bills:
- Connecticut HB 5354: Tabled for the House calendar in April
- Illinois HB 3158: Sent to Subcommittee on End of Life Issues in May
- Massachusetts S 1451: Referred to Public Health Committee for study in February
- Missouri HB 2706: Referred to General Law Committee in May
- New Hampshire HB 1324: Referred for Interim Study
- New Jersey A 4085/S 3007: Referred to Senate Commerce Committee in March
- Oklahoma SB 1637: Referred to Business and Commerce Committee in February
- Rhode Island H 7212: Approved by House in June; sent to Senate
