Oklahoma Governor Vetoes “Burial Freedom” Human Composting Bill

Oklahoma’s push to legalize human composting has hit a major roadblock after Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed House Bill 3660, despite the measure passing both the Oklahoma House and Senate with 60% bipartisan support. 

The bill, known as the “Burial Freedom Bill,” would have legalized natural organic reduction (NOR) as a form of final disposition in Oklahoma. The legislation would have allowed licensed funeral providers to offer the process alongside burial, cremation, and alkaline hydrolysis. 

Supporters framed the bill as an issue of consumer choice and environmental sustainability. State Rep. Eddy Dempsey, the bill’s author, emphasized that no consumers would be forced to be composted, nor would any funeral establishments be required to purchase or build NOR equipment or offer the service. He said earlier this year that the legislation was simply intended to give families “the freedom to make their own choices” while also creating regulatory safeguards for the profession. 

The final version of the bill included strict provisions prohibiting the sale of organically reduced remains and banning their use for growing food intended for people or livestock.

Still, Stitt rejected the measure, saying the legislation “moves too far toward treating the human body as a material to be repurposed, rather than remains to be reverently laid to rest.” 

The veto is another reminder that while human composting continues gaining momentum nationwide, the practice remains politically and culturally divisive in many states. New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize NOR in September 2025. Oklahoma would have been the 15th state to legalize NOR, and the first to do so in 2026.

The bill’s passage through both chambers suggested that NOR is becoming increasingly difficult for lawmakers to dismiss outright. Even in conservative states like Oklahoma, support for expanded disposition options appears to be growing.