Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) hits some roadblocks

May 21, 2026/Cremation, Products, Regulations/

It’s not for me. . . .but neither is skydiving.

I’m talking about Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) or what some lay people call “human composting”. NOR is a legal form of human disposition in at least 14 states by my count. The process used for human remains disposition was first legalized in the State of Washington in 2019 with that legalization law taking effect in 2020.

Since that time there has been an orderly process of states introducing bills into their state legislatures to make the process legal in those particular states. That introduction of a bill was also the case this year in the states of New Hampshire and Oklahoma.

However, the orderly process of legalizing NOR found opponents in both of those two states and, in each, the process was rejected.

In New Hampshire the bill to legalize NOR in the state was passed by the House of Representatives but failed to pass the Senate. You can see a news video report on that vote here.

In Oklahoma the idea of legalizing the Natural Organic Reduction process proceeded further with both the House and Senate passing the initiative by about a 60/40 margin. However, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed the bill when it got to his desk for his signature. According to this article from Oklahoma NPR outlet KOSU, Stitt made the following comment about his reasoning saying it “. . .moves too far toward treating the human body as a material to be repurposed, rather than remains to be reverently laid to rest.”

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take: Change happens. I’ve learned over the years of my life that whenever something is “new and different” many people are cautious. I think that is the case with Natural Organic Reduction.

Yes, there have been setbacks. . . .not only in getting the process legalized in certain states, but in rules about what may be done with the remains of the process. However, the march towards full U.S. legalization will move forward and current funeral home operators will have to decide on if, and how, they may offer the process to their communities.

NOR is bound to grow — I don’t think the numbers will overtake earth burial or cremation anytime soon, but there will be growth. I think it is a testament to the process that the original NOR company, Recompose, has according to their website, been voted “The best funeral home in the Pacific Northwest” for three years running — 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Related Information — This “tracker” from Earth Funeral gives information as to where NOR is legal and where initiatives are under consideration for legalization of the process. (As of April 2, 2026)

More news from the world of Death Care: