Bill > SB1054

This bill, titled the "Natural Organic Reduction Act," establishes Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) as a lawful method of final disposition in West Virginia, defining it as a controlled biological process that transforms human remains into soil or soil-like material. The bill outlines that NOR does not involve chemical preservation or cosmetic preparation and is distinct from burial and cremation. It grants the Department of Health exclusive authority to regulate NOR facilities and processes, focusing on sanitation, safety, pathogen reduction, and recordkeeping, while explicitly stating that the Board of Funeral Service will have no regulatory authority over NOR. Operators of NOR facilities are not required to hold funeral director or embalmer licenses, but they are prohibited from performing services that require such licenses, like embalming or cosmetic preparation. The bill also details standards for NOR facility permits, the handling and use of the resulting soil material (which cannot be sold), and clarifies that existing death certification and recordkeeping requirements remain in place.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=1054&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill