SF 4743
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 03/24/2026 11:01 a.m.
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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, ordeleted 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, ordeleted 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 hoursdeleted text end new text begin 30 daysnew 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