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Committee adopts amendment and lays over bill setting statewide standards for green burials
Summary
Senate File 2819 would establish statewide requirements for natural or "green" burial sites (setbacks, minimum burial depths and distances from water) based on a Department of Health study; the committee adopted an amendment setting an effective date to coincide with the moratorium's expiration and laid the bill over for omnibus consideration.
Senate File 2819, carried by Senator Rehrig, would create a statewide regulatory framework for natural or "green" burial cemeteries, drawing from a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) study and practices adopted in other states.
Senator Rehrig told the committee the bill responds to a 2023 moratorium on new green burial cemeteries and incorporates recommendations from the MDH study, including minimum burial depths (the bill uses a 3.5-foot minimum), setbacks from property lines and distances from water. ‘‘Everything that is left in the bill is coming from that report that MDH did, looking around what are basically best practices within the industry,’’ Rehrig said.
Testimony came from local officials and stakeholders. Dan Reed, a Carlton County commissioner, described rural cemetery histories and warned that long‑term care of small cemeteries may shift to local governments. Eric Braun, a Carlton County resident, thanked the committee for the moratorium and the resulting MDH study and said the bill provides a framework for counties. Matt Connell, caretaker of Loving Earth Memorial Gardens, said the bill's proposed regulations reflect common practices used by green cemeteries worldwide and help provide public confidence.
The committee adopted the A5 amendment to set an effective date of July 1 so the statute would take effect when the 2023 moratorium expires on July 1. MDH policy staff said they had received a fiscal‑note request and did not anticipate a cost. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Supporters said the bill provides statewide baseline standards while allowing counties to develop local implementation; opponents and concerned residents urged careful consideration of long-term cemetery care obligations and local siting.
