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HF2769 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Requirements for green burials established, and amount of proceeds dedicated to permanent care and improvement funds modified.

Related bill: SF2819

AI Generated Summary

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to establish regulations for green burials in Minnesota, focusing on environmental sustainability. It also updates the financial practices regarding cemetery care and improvement funds, ensuring more funds are dedicated to maintaining and improving these facilities.

Main Provisions

  • Green Burial Requirements: The bill defines green burial as a sustainable method that avoids embalming or uses only non-toxic substances, employs biodegradable caskets or shrouds, and does not use vaults or outer burial containers.

  • Facility Standards: Buildings with facilities holding bodies for green burial must comply with state building codes, zoning laws, and maintain environmental standards. They must ensure the dignity of remains and the safety of personnel.

  • Refrigeration and Handling: Bodies awaiting green burial must be refrigerated or packed in dry ice if not embalmed. Refrigerated bodies can be stored for up to six days, while those packed in dry ice have a four-day limit.

  • Financial Amendments: Changes to how proceeds from cemetery lot sales are used increase the amount directed to permanent care and improvement funds from 20% to 25% for cemetery lots, with a similar 10% dedication from mausoleum or columbarium unit sales.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

  • The bill introduces specific guidelines for green burials in both public and private cemeteries, ensuring plots are located away from water sources and flood-prone areas and stipulating burial depth and density.

  • It updates statutes to increase the percentage of proceeds from cemetery-related sales allocated to care and improvement funds, demonstrating a commitment to the long-term maintenance of cemeteries.

Additional Requirements

  • Plot Location Guidelines: Green burial plots must be adequately distanced from water supply wells, watercourses, and drainage systems, maintaining clearances above the high-water level.

  • Burial Plot Size and Density: Plots are limited to nine feet by four feet, with a cap of 300 burials per acre over a century.

  • Ash Spreading: Cemeteries that allow ash spreading must designate specific areas for this purpose.

Relevant Terms

green burials, environmental sustainability, biodegradable casket, permanent care fund, cemetery maintenance, burial density, water protection, ash spreading, plot depth.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
March 23, 2025HouseFloorActionIntroduction and first reading, referred toHealth Finance and Policy

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Introduces specific refrigeration requirements for green burials."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This bill references the handling and refrigeration requirements for dead human bodies in section 149A.91.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "149A.91",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 3"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This legislation modifies the required payments to the permanent care and improvement fund for cemeteries set forth in section 306.37.",
      "modified": [
        "Increased percentage from 20% to 25% of the proceeds for cemetery lots to be paid into the fund."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "306.37",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 1"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This legislation modifies the percentage of sales requiring payment into the permanent care and improvement fund under section 306.78.",
      "modified": [
        "Percentage increased from 20% to 25% for the sale of cemetery lots."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "306.78",
    "subdivision": ""
  }
]

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