Columbarium regulation.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Columbarium Regulation

This law changes building requirements for columbariums to allow more materials and designs while ensuring structural integrity and aesthetic appeal.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the types of materials that can be used for exterior walls and roofs of columbariums, including granite, marble, slate, sandstone, limestone, concrete block masonry or any other material with similar properties to ensure structural integrity.
• Allows exterior doors to be made from granite, marble, slate, sandstone, limestone, bronze, aluminum alloys or any other strong materials.
• Permits the interior construction of columbariums using granite, marble, slate, sandstone, limestone, concrete or any other material that provides structural integrity.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who build and design columbariums
• Cemeteries with existing columbarium structures

Terms To Know

columbarium

A building or structure designed to hold urns containing ashes of the deceased.

structural integrity

The ability of a structure to withstand forces and stresses without breaking or failing.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify which materials are considered similar properties for structural integrity.
• Effective immediately upon enactment, but the exact date is March 3, 2025.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0262

Bill No.:

HB0103

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

25LSO-0262

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0040

Chapter No.:

90

Prime Sponsor:

Sherwood

Catch Title:

Columbarium regulation.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Amending columbarium structural integrity and esthetic requirements.

Summary/Major Elements:

Existing law specifies certain building requirements for a community vault, crypt, columbarium and mausoleum.

This bill revises the building requirements for those structures and would allow the exterior walls and roof to be constructed of granite, marble, slate, sandstone, limestone, concrete block masonry or any other materials of similar properties that achieves structural integrity and that are designed to be structurally sound and to withstand exterior weathering.

The bill would allow the exterior doors to be constructed of granite, marble, slate, sandstone, limestone, bronze or aluminum alloys or any other material or alloy of similar properties.

The bill would also allow the interior to be constructed of granite, marble, slate, sandstone, limestone, concrete or any other material of similar properties that achieves structural integrity.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

25LSO-0262

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0103

ENROLLED ACT NO. 40,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session

AN ACT relating to cemeteries and burials; amending provisions related to the structural integrity and esthetics of columbariums; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
‑
8
‑
402(a)(iv) through (vi) is amended to read:

35
‑
8
‑
402.

Regulations and specifications generally; application to certain columbariums.

(a)

No person, firm, partnership, association, company or corporation shall construct any community vault, crypt, columbarium or mausoleum, wholly or partially above the surface of the ground, to be used to contain the body or remains of any dead human being unless the same shall be located within the confines of an established cemetery containing not less than five (5) acres, which cemetery shall have been in existence and operation for a period of at least five (5) years immediately preceding the time of the erection thereof, nor until plans and specifications therefor shall be approved by the department of health. Such plans and specifications shall set forth the sections, halls, rooms, corridors, elevators or other subdivisions thereof, with their descriptive names and numbers, and shall provide:

(iv)

That the exterior walls and roof shall be constructed of granite
,

or
marble
, slate, sandstone, limestone, concrete block masonry or any other material of similar properties that achieves structural integrity
and
shall not be less than six (6) inches in thickness
designed to be structurally sound and to withstand exterior weathering
;

(v)

That exterior doors shall be constructed of
granite, marble, slate, sandstone or limestone,
bronze or aluminum alloys or any other material or alloy of similar properties;

(vi)

That interiors shall be constructed of granite, marble, slate, sandstone
,

or
limestone
, concrete

or any other material of similar properties that achieves structural integrity
;

Section 2
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1