Bill > HB1065

This bill establishes a legal framework for creating family burial grounds on privately owned property, defining a family burial ground as an area of land designated for burying human remains that may (but are not required to) be restricted to family members. The bill outlines specific requirements for establishing such burial grounds, including that they must be on land owned by a natural person, with written consent from all co-owners if the property is jointly owned, and cannot be established on property co-owned by legal entities. The burial ground must be set back at least 25 feet from parcel boundaries, cannot be within 150 feet of critical areas or 50 feet of easements or public rights-of-way, and cannot occupy more than 10 percent of the parcel. Property owners are prohibited from selling plots or charging fees for burials, must record detailed information about each burial with the county auditor within 30 days, and must disclose the existence of the burial ground to potential buyers. The bill also allows cities and counties to create ordinances regulating family burial grounds and exempts such burial grounds from certain existing cemetery regulations. The legislation aims to provide a legal pathway for families to create small, private burial spaces on their own property while maintaining certain environmental and administrative safeguards.

Justice

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1065&Year=2025&Initiative=false