Office of Cemetery Oversight - Study of Deathcare and Funeral Practices

SB 671 requires Maryland's Office of Cemetery Oversight to study the environmental and public health impacts of deathcare practices, in collaboration with health, labor, and environmental agencies. The study will examine nine specific practices - including traditional burials, cremation, water cremation, and green burial - to assess their effects on land use, soil/water quality, air pollution, worker safety, costs, and equity. It will also review permitting processes and collect data through site visits, stakeholder input, and comparisons with other states. The study will produce an interim report by December 2025 and a final report by July 2026, which may inform future policy recommendations but does not enact new regulations.