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Committee modernizes columbarium rules, clears bill to allow broader building materials
Summary
House Bill 103 would update state permitting and material standards for columbarium construction; lawmakers advanced the measure unanimously after sponsor and cemetery officials said the statute dates from 1957 and does not reflect modern construction options.
House Bill 103, which updates state language governing columbarium construction, passed the Labor, Health & Social Services Committee without opposition after sponsors said current law dates to 1957 and prevents reasonable modernization.
Representative Sherwood, sponsor of the bill, told the committee a constituent and local cemetery officials raised the issue after a permit for a new columbarium was denied under the existing statute. "It is a structure that has small compartments or niches that houses urns containing cremated remains," Sherwood said, adding that the bill updates allowed exterior and interior materials to include slate, sandstone and modern finishes rather than limiting options to granite or marble.
Senator Hutchings asked whether the bill would affect existing columbariums; Sherwood said it would not apply retroactively to existing structures and that the Department of Health handles permitting for new construction. Darren Nimmons, superintendent of the Campbell County Cemetery District, testified in support and described encountering the same permitting problem in his district.
The measure clarifies that materials and construction standards should ensure structural integrity and weatherproofing while giving cemeteries greater flexibility and lower material costs than older statutory language. Committee members noted a potential cost to move remains between columbariums, which one senator cited as about $2,000, and raised questions about local notification and cemetery-district practices.
After public comment and brief discussion, the committee voted to advance the bill. The roll-call vote recorded five ayes; the committee forwarded House Bill 103 to the next stage of consideration.
