Minn. Stat. § 149A.955
This section is effective July 1, 2025. A dead human body may only undergo natural organic reduction in this state at a natural organic reduction facility licensed by the commissioner of health.
Any building to be used as a natural organic reduction facility must comply with all applicable local and state building codes, zoning laws and ordinances, and environmental standards. A natural organic reduction facility must have on site a natural organic reduction system approved by the commissioner and a motorized mechanical device for processing the remains in natural reduction and must have in the building a refrigerated holding facility for the retention of dead human bodies awaiting natural organic reduction. The holding facility must be secure from access by anyone except the authorized personnel of the natural organic reduction facility, preserve the dignity of the remains, and protect the health and safety of the natural organic reduction facility personnel.
A natural organic reduction facility must use as a natural organic reduction vessel a contained reduction vessel that is designed to promote aerobic reduction and that minimizes odors.
Any room where the deceased will be prepared for natural organic reduction must be properly lit and ventilated with an exhaust fan. It must be equipped with a functional sink with hot and cold running water. It must have nonporous flooring, such that a sanitary condition is provided. The walls and ceiling of the room must run from floor to ceiling and be covered with tile, or by plaster or sheetrock painted with washable paint or other appropriate material, such that a sanitary condition is provided. The doors, walls, ceiling, and windows must be constructed to prevent odors from entering any other part of the building.
Any rooms or areas where the vessels reside or where any operation takes place involving the handling of the vessels or the remains must be ventilated with exhaust fans. The doors, walls, ceiling, and windows shall be constructed to prevent odors from entering any other part of the building. All windows must be treated in a manner that maintains privacy when the remains are handled. A sanitary condition must be provided. Any area where human remains are transferred, prepared, or processed must have nonpourous flooring, and the walls and ceiling of the rooms must run from floor to ceiling and be covered with tile, or by plaster, sheetrock, or concrete painted with washable paint or other appropriate material, such that a sanitary condition is provided. Access to the vessel holding area must only be granted to individuals outlined in subdivision 5 and to authorized visitors at the discretion of the licensed facility under the direct supervision of trained facility staff, provided that such access does not violate subdivision 18.
The natural organic reduction facility must have a functional emergency eye wash and quick drench shower.
The room where the deceased will be prepared for natural organic reduction, the area where the natural organic reduction vessels are located or where the natural organic reduction operations are undertaken, and all fixtures, equipment, instruments, receptacles, clothing, and other appliances or supplies stored or used in these operations must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times.
All applicable provisions of state and federal regulations regarding exposure to workplace hazards and accidents must be followed to protect the health and safety of all authorized persons at the natural organic reduction facility.
A licensed natural organic reduction facility may employ unlicensed personnel, provided that all applicable provisions of this chapter are followed. It is the duty of the licensed natural organic reduction facility to provide proper training for all unlicensed personnel, and the licensed natural organic reduction facility shall be strictly accountable for compliance with this chapter and other applicable state and federal regulations regarding occupational and workplace health and safety.
No natural organic reduction facility shall naturally reduce or cause to be naturally reduced any dead human body or identifiable body part without receiving written authorization to do so from the person or persons who have the legal right to control disposition as described in section 149A.80 or the person's legal designee. The written authorization must include:
The limitations in section 149A.95, subdivision 5, apply to natural organic reduction facilities.
A dead human body must be placed in the natural organic reduction vessel to initiate the natural reduction process within 24 hours after the natural organic reduction facility accepts legal and physical custody of the body.
All natural organic reduction facility employees handling the containers or pouches for dead human bodies shall use universal precautions and otherwise exercise all reasonable precautions to minimize the risk of transmitting any communicable disease from the body. No dead human body shall be removed from the container or pouch in which it is delivered to the natural organic reduction facility without express written authorization of the person or persons with legal right to control the disposition and only by a licensed mortician. The remains shall be considered a dead human body until after the final reduction. The person or persons with the legal right to control the body may be involved with preparation of the body pursuant to section 149A.01, subdivision 3, paragraph (c).
All licensed natural organic reduction facilities shall develop, implement, and maintain an identification procedure whereby dead human bodies can be identified from the time the natural organic reduction facility accepts delivery of the body until the naturally reduced remains are released to an authorized party. After natural organic reduction, an identifying disk, tab, or other permanent label shall be placed within the naturally reduced remains container or containers before the remains are released from the natural organic reduction facility. Each identification disk, tab, or label shall have a number that shall be recorded on all paperwork regarding the decedent. This procedure shall be designed to reasonably ensure that the proper body is naturally reduced and that the remains are returned to the appropriate party. Loss of all or part of the remains or the inability to individually identify the remains is a violation of this subdivision.
A licensed natural organic reduction facility shall knowingly naturally reduce only dead human bodies or human remains in a natural organic reduction vessel.
The final disposition of dead human bodies by natural organic reduction shall be done in privacy. Unless there is written authorization from the person with the legal right to control the final disposition, only authorized natural organic reduction facility personnel shall be permitted in the natural organic reduction area while any human body is awaiting placement or being placed in a natural organic reduction vessel, being removed from the vessel, or being processed for placement for final reduction. This does not prohibit an in-person laying-in ceremony to honor the deceased and the transition prior to the placement.
Except with the express written permission of the person with the legal right to control the final disposition, no natural organic reduction facility shall naturally reduce more than one dead human body at the same time and in the same natural organic reduction vessel or introduce a second dead human body into same natural organic reduction vessel until reasonable efforts have been employed to remove all fragments of remains from the preceding natural organic reduction. This subdivision does not apply where commingling of human remains during natural organic reduction is otherwise provided by law. The fact that there is incidental and unavoidable residue in the natural organic reduction vessel used in a prior natural organic reduction is not a violation of this subdivision.
Upon completion of the natural organic reduction process, reasonable efforts shall be made to remove from the natural organic reduction vessel all the recoverable remains. The remains shall be transported to the processing area, and any non-naturally reducible materials or items shall be separated from the remains and disposed of, in any lawful manner, by the natural organic reduction facility.
The remains that remain intact shall be reduced by a motorized mechanical processor to a granulated appearance. The granulated remains and the rest of the naturally reduced remains shall be returned to a natural organic reduction vessel for final reduction. The remains shall be considered a dead human body until after the final reduction.
Except with the express written permission of the person with the legal right to control the final deposition or otherwise provided by law, no natural organic reduction facility shall mechanically process the remains of more than one body at a time in the same mechanical processor or introduce the remains of a second body into a mechanical processor until reasonable efforts have been employed to remove all fragments of remains already in the processor. The fact that there is incidental and unavoidable residue in the mechanical processor is not a violation of this subdivision.
A natural organic reduction facility must:
| Metals and other testing parameters | Limit (mg/kg dry weight), unless otherwise specified |
| Fecal coliform | Less than 1,000 most probable number per gram of total solids (dry weight) |
| Salmonella | Less than 3 most probable number per 4 grams of total solids (dry weight) |
| Arsenic | Less than or equal to 11 ppm |
| Cadmium | Less than or equal to 7.1 ppm |
| Lead | Less than or equal to 150 ppm |
| Mercury | Less than or equal to 5 ppm |
| Selenium | Less than or equal to 18 ppm; |
If the naturally reduced remains are to be separated into two or more naturally reduced remains containers according to the directives provided in the written authorization for natural organic reduction, all of the containers shall contain duplicate identification disks, tabs, or permanent labels and all paperwork regarding the given body shall include a notation of the number of and disposition of each container, as provided in the written authorization.
Every natural organic reduction facility shall provide for the removal and disposition of any accumulated residue from any natural organic reduction vessel, mechanical processor, or other equipment used in natural organic reduction. Disposition of accumulated residue shall be by any lawful manner deemed appropriate.
Following completion of the natural organic reduction process, the inurned naturally reduced remains shall be released according to the instructions given on the written authorization for natural organic reduction. If the remains are to be shipped, they must be securely packaged and transported by a method that has an internal tracing system available and which provides a receipt signed by the person accepting delivery. Where there is a dispute over release or disposition of the naturally reduced remains, a natural organic reduction facility may deposit the naturally reduced remains in accordance with the directives of a court of competent jurisdiction pending resolution of the dispute or retain the naturally reduced remains until the person with the legal right to control disposition presents satisfactory indication that the dispute is resolved. A natural organic reduction facility must make every effort to ensure naturally reduced remains are not sold or used for commercial purposes.
If, after 30 calendar days following the inurnment, the naturally reduced remains are not claimed or disposed of according to the written authorization for natural organic reduction, the natural organic reduction facility shall give written notice, by certified mail, to the person with the legal right to control the final disposition or a legal designee, that the naturally reduced remains are unclaimed and requesting further release directions. Should the naturally reduced remains be unclaimed 120 calendar days following the mailing of the written notification, the natural organic reduction facility may return the remains to the earth respectfully in any lawful manner deemed appropriate.
Every natural organic reduction facility shall create and maintain on its premises or other business location in Minnesota an accurate record of every natural organic reduction provided. The record shall include all of the following information for each natural organic reduction:
Records required under subdivision 28 shall be maintained for a period of three calendar years after the release of the naturally reduced remains. Following this period and subject to any other laws requiring retention of records, the natural organic reduction facility may then place the records in storage or reduce them to microfilm, a digital format, or any other method that can produce an accurate reproduction of the original record, for retention for a period of ten calendar years from the date of release of the naturally reduced remains. At the end of this period and subject to any other laws requiring retention of records, the natural organic reduction facility may destroy the records by shredding, incineration, or any other manner that protects the privacy of the individuals identified.
Minn. Stat. § 149A.955