Bureau proposes rules for licensing reduction facilities
The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau has proposed regulations for facilities that perform natural organic reduction, with a target effective date of January 1, 2027.
The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau has proposed amending sections 2302, 2310, 2311, 2326.06, 2326.1, 2329.2, 2333.1, 2339.2 and 2370 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations to cover the licensure and regulation of reduction facilities.
AB 351 (Garcia, Chapter 399, Statutes of 2022) requires the Bureau to license and regulate reduction facilities, where natural organic reduction of a human body takes place, and reduction facility managers. The Bureau presented draft text and an application at a stakeholder meeting on July 30, 2025.
The Bureau accepted comments on the proposed text until September 28, 2026. In its May 2026 regulatory update, the Bureau said that if no comments are received, the proposal may go to the Office of Administrative Law for final approval with an implementation date of January 1, 2027, to match the underlying statute.
The notice, proposed language, initial statement of reasons and application form are posted on the Bureau’s proposed regulations page.