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B26-0547 • 2025

Green Death Care Option Amendment Act of 2025

Green Death Care Option Amendment Act of 2025

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
McDuffie
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
Under Council Review
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Green Death Care Option Amendment Act

This act amends funeral service regulations to allow alkaline hydrolysis as a method for reducing human remains, and updates the composition requirements of the Board of Funeral Directors.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds 'alkaline hydrolysis' as an approved method for reducing human remains at funeral services establishments.
  • Updates the definition of 'cremation' to clarify it involves incineration.
  • Modifies existing regulations by including alkaline hydrolysis alongside burial and cremation options.
  • Expands the Board of Funeral Directors to include members with expertise in cremation or alkaline hydrolysis.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Funeral services establishments in the District of Columbia
  • The Board of Funeral Directors

Terms To Know

Alkaline Hydrolysis
A process that uses water, alkaline chemicals, and heat to break down human remains.
Cremation
The act of disposing of a dead body by burning it at high temperatures.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill has not yet been approved by the Mayor or Congress.
  • It is unclear how funeral services establishments will implement this new method.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Roundtable on B26-0547

  2. 2026-03-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Roundtable Published in the District of Columbia Register

  3. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referred to Committee on Health

  4. 2026-03-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Roundtable filed in the Office of Secretary by Health

  5. 2026-02-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referral published.

  6. 2025-12-19 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0547 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  7. 2025-12-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Business and Economic Development

  8. 2025-12-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0547 Introduced by Councilmember McDuffie at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Green Death Care Option Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
1

______________________________ 1
Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 2
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A BILL 6
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_________ 8
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
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__________________ 13
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To amend the District of Columbia Funeral Services Regulatory Act of 1984 to authorize 16
reduction by alkaline hydrolysis at funeral services establishments; and to amend Chapter 17
28 of Title 47 to expand the composition requirements of the Board of Funeral Directors. 18
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 20
act may be cited as the “Green Death Care Option Amendment Act of 2025”. 21
Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Funeral Services Regulatory Act of 1984, effective May 22
22, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-84; D.C. Official Code § 3-401 et seq.), is amended as follows: 23
(a) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 3-402) is amended as follows: 24
(1) A new paragraph (1A) is added to read as follows: 25
“(1A) “Alkaline Hydrolysis” means the process of reducing human remains using 26
water, alkaline chemicals, and heat inside a watertight vessel to accelerate decomposition at a 27
funeral services establishment.”. 28
(2) A new paragraph (5A) is added to read as follows: 29
“(5A) “Cremation” means the disposition of a dead human body by means of 30
incineration.”. 31
2

(4) Paragraph (11) is amended by striking the phrase “burial, cremation,” and 32
inserting the phrase “burial, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis,” in its place. 33
(5) Paragraph (18) is amended by striking the phrase “burial, or cremation” and 34
inserting the phrase “burial, cremation, or alkaline hydrolysis” in its place. 35
Sec. 3. Chapter 28 of Title 47 of the District of Columbia Code is amended as follows: 36
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(a) Section 47-2853.06(f) is amended by striking the phrase “5 members of whom 4 shall 38
be funeral directors licensed in the District and one shall be a consumer member” and inserting 39
the phrase “7 members of whom 4 shall be funeral directors licensed in the District, 2 shall be 40
consumer members, and one shall be a member with expertise in cremation or alkaline 41
hydrolysis” in its place. 42
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 43
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 44
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 45
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 46
Sec. 5. Effective date. 47
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 48
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review as 49
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 50
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code § 1-206(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia 51
Register. 52