'Chemical Cremation' Bill Clears Committee

Alkaline Hydrolysis, a process that uses chemicals to dissolve human remains in place of traditional burial and cremation methods, is one step closer to becoming legal in Indiana. 

A bill that would legalize the process, commonly referred to as  “chemical cremation,” cleared the house’s Public Health Committee 11-1 on Wednesday. While similar bills have come before the state legislature before, this week’s vote marks the first time one has gone to the full house for consideration.

A similar bill went before the senate on Tuesday but failed to come up for a vote.
Indiana Funeral Directors Director Curtis Rostad says while his association  is neutral on the topic it opposed the senate bill because the language classified alkaline hydrolysis as a type of cremation.

“Trying to make the two the same under the law would only create confusion, misunderstanding and deception,” Rosatd said.

In contrast, the house bill is more comprehensive, treating alkaline hydrolysis as process separate from traditional cremation.

Eleven states have legalized the process.