We know it might seem like deja vu, but if you heard that there was another legislative bill in Texas to legalize new forms of disposition you heard right. At Cremation.Green we are among the most vocal advocates for disposition freedom. We believe that all safe forms of disposition should be made available so that Texans can choose the option that they prefer.
But in years past, some Texas legislators made it clear they thought they should get to decide what disposition people in the state can choose based on their own preferences. It’s a sentiment that many Texans didn’t share, however, it appears that many legislatures are continuing to oppose expanding cremation services regardless.
Let’s take a look at the latest house bill that attempted to modernize the Texas death care system, what happened at the state capital and what it signals for the future of funeral services.
Details About Texas House Bill 2200 (HB2200)
HB2200 was introduced by Texas Representative Ana Hernandez in January 2025, more than a year after the previous bill to include natural organic reduction (NOR) and alkaline hydrolysis as forms of cremation. This latest bill attempted to update the Health & Safety Code as well as the Occupations Code to establish NOR as legally equivalent to traditional flame cremation.
Redefining Cremation
The most significant aspect of HB2200 was redefining what is considered cremation. The definition was expanded to include the irreversible reduction of remains via natural decomposition – not just extreme heat.
Expanded Crematory and Cremation Chamber Definitions
Because this is a legal matter, everything must be spelled out in detail. For that reason, HB2200 also expanded the parameters of a crematory and cremation chamber to include NOR facilities.
Empowering the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC)
If HB2200 had passed, it would have given the TFSC the ability to adopt rules covering NOR processes, containers and safety protocols by December 1, 2025.
Licensing For NOR Facilities
Another part of the bill was addressing licensing procedures for the operation of NOR facilities that are overseen by the TFSC.
How HB 2200 Could Have Transformed the Funeral Industry in Texas
It’s important to understand that a bill like HB2200 wouldn’t just make another form of disposition available. It would be the start of a big transition in the Texas death care system. If HB2200 had passed it could have:
- Expanded End‑of‑Life Choices: Texans would have another eco-friendly, lower-carbon and potentially lower-cost alternative to traditional burial and flame cremation.
- New Business Opportunities: Licensed providers could offer NOR services alongside traditional flame cremation and new facilities can be established, opening Texas markets to green funeral entrepreneurs.
- Better Consumer Transparency & Safety: With TFSC guidance, decomposition standards and monitoring protocols would ensure environmental and public health safeguards while helping to educate the public.
Why Yet Another Green Funeral Bill Failed in Texas
HB2200 represented an honest effort to address the concerns that were brought up in the last legislative round and responsibly expand death care services in Texas. But it wasn’t enough to get the bill passed by the house.
The bill passed the state Public Health Committee on April 28 before being amended during the May 12 House session. Despite the amendment, it failed on May 12 by a vote of 43 yeas to 87 nays.
Buy why?
With each bill that fails it becomes clear it’s simply a matter of cultural bias. While earlier bills were more ambiguous with definitions and procedures, HB2200 was not. With those technicalities taken care of, the opposition really boiled down to personal concerns surrounding non-traditional disposal among some legislators.
Unfortunately, there isn’t bipartisan support surrounding the issue right now. That’s going to make it difficult to get both sides to come together to get the votes needed to pass a bill. The skeptics continue to state that NOR is a novelty, even as more states legalize the practice.
What’s Next: The Outlook For Alternative Disposition in Texas After HB 2200
HB 2200 could have represented a bold step toward greener death-care in Texas – if it had passed. Given that this bill addressed issues that were brought up in the past as roadblocks and includes TFSC authority framework it can be seen as a setback that it didn’t pass. However, the team at Cremation.Green is choosing to take a more optimistic look at the latest legislative activity.
While the initial vote didn’t carry HB2200 forward to the next stage, the growing momentum around environmentally-friendly disposition options and continuing to define the law’s around cremation give us real hope for future success. With each bill that’s introduced it gets harder for legislators to argue against expanding the definitions to include NOR and water cremation.
This is particularly true now that the TFSC has pointed out that Texas law doesn’t explicitly authorize alternative dispositions like alkaline hydrolysis. In response the University of North Texas had to suspend its hydrolysis program that had been operating for many years. The situation has created added pressure for the state of Texas to take a serious look at updating it’s rules and regulations.
There’s also the issue of more states adopting laws that allow natural organic reduction and water cremation. During the 2024-2025 legislative year Minnesota, Maine, Georgia and Arizona passed bills legalizing NOR. They joined the growing list of states that are adopting greener death care.
HB2200 was a step in the right direction in legal terms. The bill created important groundwork that clearly defined NOR and mandated regulatory standards. The better the framework can be defined, the less there is for opponents to oppose and the easier it will be to get a bill passed.
If you’d like to know more about the latest efforts to legalize alternative forms of disposition like natural organic reduction and water cremation, connect with our team by phone, text or email. We can also help families in Texas arrange eco-friendly funeral services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
