nor education 10 min read

By TerraCare

NOR Legislation Timeline: How Terramation Became Legal State by State (colloquially referred to as human composting)

Natural organic reduction (NOR) — also called terramation — went from being illegal in every U.S. state to legally available in 14 states in just seven years. The path from Washington’s landmark 2019 bill to a handful of new states legalizing each year shows how a once-fringe idea became a mainstream end-of-life option. This article traces that legislative timeline chronologically, state by state, so you can understand how NOR went from experimental to established — and where it is headed next. For a broader foundation on the process, science, and current availability, see our complete guide to natural organic reduction.

What is the timeline of NOR terramation legislation state by state?

Washington legalized NOR in May 2019 (effective May 2020). Colorado and Oregon followed in 2021, Vermont in 2022. Nevada legalized in 2023. Five states — Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, and Maine — legalized in 2024 alone. Georgia and New Jersey joined in 2025. As of October 2026, 14 states have legalized NOR; California's 2022 law takes effect January 1, 2027, and New York adopted its NOR rules in 2024. Oklahoma's HB 3660 passed both chambers in 2026 but was vetoed on May 12, 2026.

  • Washington's SB 5001 (signed May 21, 2019, effective May 1, 2020) was the first NOR law in the world and created the regulatory template all subsequent state bills have built on.
  • 2024 was the biggest single year for NOR legislation: Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, and Maine all legalized, signaling NOR had crossed into mainstream political acceptance.
  • Legal authorization does not equal availability — California's 2022 law does not take effect until January 1, 2027, and in several legal states licensed facilities are not yet operating; regulatory implementation takes time.
  • Georgia's legalization in 2025 was significant as the first Deep South state, challenging any assumption that NOR is limited to politically progressive states.
  • Oklahoma's HB 3660 passed both chambers in 2026 but was vetoed on May 12, 2026, so the count stays at 14.
  • Geographic diversity of the 14 legal states — from Georgia to Minnesota, from Nevada to Delaware — proves terramation is no longer a West Coast or regional phenomenon.

Why Did NOR Need Legislation in the First Place?

Before any state could offer terramation, advocates had to clear a fundamental legal barrier: existing funeral industry law simply did not contemplate it.

In most states, death care is governed by statutes written decades ago that authorize two disposition methods — burial and cremation. Nothing in those laws addressed placing a body in a vessel, surrounding it with organic material, and returning it to soil. That legal silence meant NOR existed in a gray area at best and was effectively prohibited at worst.

Legalizing NOR required state legislatures to amend their existing statutes — defining the process, establishing oversight mechanisms, and creating licensing requirements for providers. Each state that has moved forward has done this work independently, producing a patchwork of state laws rather than a single federal standard. For a deeper look at how these bills actually move through legislatures, see our guide to how NOR bills get passed.

2019: Washington Breaks Ground

The entire NOR legislation timeline begins in Washington State, which signed SB 5001 into law on May 21, 2019. Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill after it passed with bipartisan support, making Washington the first government anywhere in the United States — and among the first in the world — to formally authorize human terramation.

The law did not take effect immediately. Providers had time to build out facilities and develop operational protocols before the effective date of May 1, 2020. The first commercial NOR facility, co-founded by NOR advocate Katrina Spade, became the first operational provider in Seattle, completing its first terramations in 2021.

Washington’s significance extends well beyond its borders. It created a legal template other states could study, adapt, and cite. It demonstrated that a legislature could work through the definitional, regulatory, and licensing questions involved — and that the bill could attract votes across the political spectrum. Every state that followed owes a meaningful debt to Washington’s willingness to go first.

2021: Colorado and Oregon Follow

Two years after Washington, two more states crossed the threshold in 2021.

Colorado passed SB 21-006, becoming the second state to legalize NOR. Colorado’s passage was significant not just as a number on a list but as proof that Washington’s example was replicable. A different state, a different legislature, a different regulatory environment — and the bill passed. Colorado providers are now operational.

Oregon followed with HB 2574, also in 2021. Oregon’s environmental culture and existing green burial infrastructure gave NOR advocates a receptive audience. Oregon is operational today.

With three states on the map, NOR had moved from a single-state experiment to a recognized category of disposition in the American West.

2022: Three States — and the Regulatory Lag Problem

The year 2022 saw three more states sign NOR legislation, but it also introduced a complication that still matters today: the gap between legal authorization and operational availability.

Vermont passed H.244 (Act 169), the first NOR law in New England. Vermont’s small size and existing progressive death care environment helped smooth its passage.

California passed AB-351, which was notable as the largest state by population to authorize NOR. With nearly 40 million residents, California’s legalization signaled that terramation could scale to mass markets. However — and this is important — California’s law does not take effect until January 1, 2027. As of April 2026, NOR is not yet available to California residents, even though it is technically legal. Families in California cannot yet access the service.

New York passed A382/S5535 in 2022 as well, making it the second-largest state to legalize NOR. New York also shows the regulatory lag: its NOR rules (19 NYCRR Part 204) were not adopted until 2024, taking effect August 7, 2024, with the State Cemetery Board as the rulemaking authority. Only cemetery corporations may operate NOR facilities in New York.

The California and New York situations illustrate an important lesson in the NOR legislation timeline: legal authorization is step one, not the finish line. States must still draft rules, license providers, and conduct inspections before families can actually use the service.

2023: Nevada

Nevada legalized NOR in 2023 through AB 289. Nevada’s passage continued the geographic spread beyond the Pacific Northwest and added a state with a very different demographic and cultural profile.

2024: The Year of the Surge

If any single year signals that NOR has crossed into mainstream acceptance, it is 2024. Five states legalized terramation in a single legislative cycle — the largest one-year expansion since Washington opened the door in 2019.

  • Arizona — HB 2081 — Law in effect
  • Maryland — HB 1168/SB 1028 — Law in effect
  • Delaware — HB 162 — Law in effect
  • Minnesota — HF 2669 (enacted through H.F. 5247, Laws 2024, ch. 127) — Law in effect since July 1, 2025
  • Maine — LD 536 — Law in effect

Five states in one year, spanning the Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South, Upper Midwest, and Northeast. The geographic and political diversity of this group is striking. Arizona and Maryland are not natural legislative siblings. Delaware is a small Mid-Atlantic state; Minnesota is a large northern state. The 2024 surge represents NOR breaking out of any regional identity and establishing itself as a broadly acceptable option.

Legislative momentum tends to build on itself. As more states pass bills with relatively little controversy, the political risk for remaining states decreases. The 2024 wave almost certainly reflects earlier states’ smooth implementation removing objections that might have blocked earlier legislation elsewhere.

2025: Georgia and New Jersey

Two more states joined in 2025.

Georgia passed SB 241, an important addition because Georgia is the first Deep South state to legalize terramation. Georgia’s passage challenges any assumption that NOR is limited to politically progressive states.

New Jersey passed A4085/S3007, and the law took effect July 1, 2026, under the State Board of Mortuary Science. Check with the Board for current facility licensing status.

2026 and Beyond: What’s Next?

As of April 2026, 14 states have legalized NOR. A fifteenth state came close. Oklahoma’s HB 3660 passed the Oklahoma House 59-37 in March 2026 and the Senate 28-18 in May, but the Governor vetoed it on May 12, 2026. Oklahoma is not a legal NOR state.

Other states with active bills or legislative interest include Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts, Utah, Hawaii, and Connecticut. Each is at a different stage, and bill status can change quickly. For current information on where your state stands, visit our state-by-state NOR guide.

What Does This Timeline Tell Us?

Seven years. Zero states to fourteen. The NOR legislation timeline is not a straight line — it started slowly, accelerated in 2022, and surged in 2024. A few patterns emerge:

Each wave lowered the barrier for the next. Washington proved it could be done. Colorado and Oregon proved it wasn’t regional. Vermont, California, and New York proved it could cross political lines. The 2024 surge proved it could happen quickly and in bulk.

Legal authorization does not equal access. California has been “legal” since 2022, but its law does not take effect until January 1, 2027, and in several other legal states licensed facilities are not yet operating. Regulatory implementation takes time and political will. Families in pending states — and in legal states without an operating facility — need to understand this distinction clearly.

Geography is no longer a limiting factor. From Georgia to Minnesota, from Nevada to Delaware, the 2024–2025 cohort proves that terramation is not a West Coast phenomenon. That diversification has significant implications for how advocates frame the issue going forward.

To understand the full history behind this legislative movement, see our article on the history of terramation — which traces the ideas that made this legal journey possible.

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What was the first state to legalize terramation?

Washington State was the first, signing SB 5001 on May 21, 2019. Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill, and it took effect on May 1, 2020. Washington’s legislation became the template that later states used when drafting their own NOR bills.

How many states have legalized NOR as of 2026?

As of April 2026, 14 states have legalized natural organic reduction: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, and New Jersey. Note that legal status is not the same as availability: California’s law takes effect January 1, 2027, and in several other legal states no licensed facility is operating yet.

California legalized NOR through AB-351 in 2022, but the law does not take effect until January 1, 2027. As of April 2026, NOR is not available to California residents. Families interested in terramation may need to look at providers in neighboring legal states.

Did Oklahoma legalize terramation?

No. Oklahoma’s HB 3660 passed both chambers in 2026, but the Governor vetoed it on May 12, 2026, and no override is recorded. Oklahoma is not a legal NOR state; a new bill would be needed in a future session.

Why do some states take so long to become operational after legalizing NOR?

Legal authorization is just the first step. Before providers can operate, state agencies must draft implementing regulations, create licensing standards, and in some cases conduct facility inspections. That process can take months or years. New York, for example, authorized NOR in 2022 but did not adopt its NOR rules until 2024 (effective August 7, 2024).

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners

Sources

  1. Washington State Legislature — SB 5001 (2019): https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5001&Year=2019
  2. Colorado General Assembly — SB 21-006: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-006
  3. Oregon Legislative Assembly — HB 2574 (2021): https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2574
  4. Vermont Legislature — H.244 / Act 169 (2022): https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2022/H.244
  5. California Legislative Information — AB-351 (2022): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351
  6. New York State Legislature — A382/S5535: https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A382&term=2021
  7. Nevada Legislature — AB 289 (2023): https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/82nd2023/Bills/AB/AB289_EN.pdf
  8. Washington State Department of Health — NOR Licensing: https://doh.wa.gov/
  9. NFDA Cremation and Burial Report 2025: https://nfda.org/news/statistics
  10. Washington State Department of Ecology: https://ecology.wa.gov/