Bill > HJ27

This bill requests the Legislative Council to designate an interim committee or assign staff to conduct a comprehensive review of Montana's current statutes related to the final disposition of human remains. The study aims to examine laws across seven different titles of the Montana Code Annotated, covering areas such as public cemetery services, burial sites, mortician licensure, health standards, and disposition rights. Specifically, the committee will investigate new technologies for handling deceased human bodies, such as natural organic reduction and alkaline hydrolysis, which are not currently addressed in existing statutes. The bill calls for collaboration with various stakeholders including mortuary professionals, tribal government representatives, funeral directors, and public health experts. The goal is to propose legislation that updates terminology, modernizes archaic language, and creates a framework for incorporating new final disposition methods into state law. The study must be completed by September 15, 2026, with findings to be presented to the 70th Legislature, ultimately seeking to streamline and update Montana's approach to managing human remains across multiple legal domains.

Business and Industry

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1983