LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Human composting received initial approval Friday in the Nevada Assembly, passing a committee vote unanimously in Carson City.
Assembly Bill 289 (AB289) legalizes “natural organic reduction,” including it in the definition of cremation. The Assembly Health and Human Services Committee sent the bill to the Assembly floor.
Natural organic reduction involves putting the human body into a container with biodegradable materials that speed the transformation into nutrient-dense soil. It has become more popular as attention to the “carbon footprint” has grown.
While laws governing human composting vary in the six states where it is legal, AB289 calls for using containers that are also biodegradable rather than reusable. Further regulations would come from the state funeral board.
AB289 would relax restrictions on where bodies can be cremated when using natural organic reduction or alkaline hydrolysis. It would also create an exception for human composting, eliminating the requirement of “particles no larger than one-eighth of an inch.”
Democratic Assemblyman Max Carter sponsored the bill, along with five other Democrats. Carter represents parts of east Las Vegas, along with Lake Las Vegas and part of Henderson.