Time period natural organic reduction facilities may hold dead human bodies before initiating natural organic reduction extended.

A bill for an act

relating to health; extending the time period natural organic reduction facilities

may hold dead human bodies before initiating natural organic reduction; amending

Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 149A.91, subdivision 3; 149A.94, subdivision

1; 149A.955, subdivision 14.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 149A.91, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Embalming or refrigeration required.

(a) A dead human body must be

embalmed by a licensed mortician or registered intern or practicum student or clinical

student, refrigerated, or packed in dry ice in the following circumstances:

(1) if the body will be transported by public transportation, pursuant to section
149A.93,

subdivision 7
;

(2) if final disposition will not be accomplished within 72 hours after death or release

of the body by a competent authority with jurisdiction over the body or the body will be

lawfully stored for final disposition in the future, except as provided in section
149A.94,

subdivision 1
;

(3) if the body will be publicly viewed subject to paragraph (b); or

(4) if so ordered by the commissioner of health for the control of infectious disease and

the protection of the public health.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, "publicly viewed" means reviewal of a dead human

body by anyone other than those mentioned in section
149A.80, subdivision 2
, and their

minor children. Dry ice may only be used when the dead human body is publicly viewed

within private property.

(c)
new text begin
Except as provided in section 149A.955, subdivision 14,
new text end
a body may not be kept in

refrigeration for a period that exceeds six calendar days, or packed in dry ice for a period

that exceeds four calendar days, from the time and release of the body from the place of

death or from the time of release from the coroner or medical examiner.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 149A.94, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Generally.

Every dead human body lying within the state, except

unclaimed bodies delivered for dissection by the medical examiner, those delivered for

anatomical study pursuant to section
149A.81, subdivision 2
, or lawfully carried through

the state for the purpose of disposition elsewhere; and the remains of any dead human body

after dissection or anatomical study, shall be decently buried or entombed in a public or

private cemetery, alkaline hydrolyzed, cremated, or
deleted text begin
, effective July 1, 2025,
deleted text end
naturally reduced

within a reasonable time after death. Where final disposition of a body will not be

accomplished, or
deleted text begin
, effective July 1, 2025,
deleted text end
when natural organic reduction will not be initiated,

within 72 hours following death or release of the body by a competent authority with

jurisdiction over the body, the body must be properly embalmed, refrigerated, or packed

with dry ice.
new text begin
Except as provided in section 149A.955, subdivision 14,
new text end
a body may not be

kept in refrigeration for a period exceeding six calendar days, or packed in dry ice for a

period that exceeds four calendar days, from the time of death or release of the body from

the coroner or medical examiner.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 149A.955, subdivision 14, is amended to read:

Subd. 14.

Bodies awaiting natural organic reduction.

A dead human body must be

placed in the natural organic reduction vessel to initiate the natural reduction process within
deleted text begin

24 hours
deleted text end
new text begin
30 days
new text end
after the natural organic reduction facility accepts legal and physical

custody of the body.
new text begin
A natural organic reduction facility must keep a body awaiting natural

organic reduction in refrigeration if the facility holds the body for a period that exceeds four

calendar days. A natural organic reduction facility must embalm a body awaiting natural

organic reduction or have the body embalmed if the natural reduction process is not initiated

within 30 days after the facility accepted legal and physical custody of the body, but the

facility is not required to embalm or have embalmed the body if the natural reduction process

is initiated within 30 days after the facility accepted legal and physical custody of the body.
new text end