MN Legislation

MN legislators have laid the groundwork for legalizing natural organic reduction with companion bills introduced in March 2023. We are ready to champion NOR legalization during the 2024 legislative session. Let's take action!

Legislative Update

Minnesota’s legislature has passed Natural Organic Reduction!

As it often is in the final hours, the last night of the legislative session was tense. Natural Organic Reduction was included in the Health bill because mortuary science is handled by the Minnesota Department of Health. With a lot of bills waiting to be passed by the majority caucus before midnight, the minority party did their job of trying to slow things down and prevent success.

As it became clear there would not be enough time, the majority party put the Health bill and several other, mostly department, bills into the Tax bill and passed it quickly, against objections.The final bill appears to be just as the NOR Minnesota Team and stakeholders had agreed to over the course of writing and improving the provisions that will legalize and regulate NOR.

All that is left is for the Governor to sign the bill, and then NOR will be legal in Minnesota starting on July 1, 2025.

Thank you for all your work and advocacy throughout this process; next stop, the desk of Governor Walz!

Many Thanks,

NOR Minnesota Team

What's happening?

During the 2023 Minnesota legislative session legislators laid the groundwork for legalizing natural organic reduction (NOR.) Companion bills were introduced in both the state House and state Senate and referred to committees where they now await hearings during the 2024 legislative session.

The 2024 legislative session begins February 12 and ends May 20, 2024.

What bills have been proposed?

The bills listed below permit the “conversion of human remains to basic elements using natural organic reduction” and establishes licensure requirements and fees for NOR facilities. This legislation is consistent with existing Minnesota laws that don’t require a licensed practitioner of mortuary science (a funeral director) to be the owner of a licensed crematory, funeral home, or cemetery.

Senate Bill SF3134

Legislative
Process

During the 2024 state legislative session, the House bill, HF 2669, will be heard in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee and the Senate bill, SF 3134 in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

These bill hearings are important! They are an opportunity for committee members to discuss the bill and give NOR MN and interested citizens an opportunity to testify and share why it’s important that NOR be legalized as another option for body disposition in Minnesota.

If the majority of committee members vote YES, the NOR bills will move to the full House and Senate Chambers for discussion and a final passage vote, and then onto the Governor to sign the NOR legislation into law.

What's next?

Your state legislators need to hear from you to make NOR legal in Minnesota!

Please take a few minutes to send an email to your state Senator and state Representative telling them why NOR is important to you and asking them to support the NOR bill.

Visit our advocacy toolkit page for simple instructions on how to email your state legislators, a letter template to help you get started, and a friendly FAQ to help fill in the blanks.