New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SB368 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	SENATE BILL 368
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	-
32	32
33	33	STATE
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35	35	OF
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37	37	NEW
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39	39	MEXICO
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42	42	FIRST SESSION
43	43	,
44	44
45	45	2025
46	46	INTRODUCED BY
47	47	Elizabeth "Liz" Stefanics and Marian Matthews
48	48	AN ACT
49	49	RELATING TO CREMATION; EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF "CREMATION"
50	50	TO INCLUDE REDUCTION BY CHEMICAL AGENT OR BIOLOGICAL PROCESS;
51	51	PROVIDING FOR TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL CREMATION
52	52	PROCESSES IN THE FUNERAL SERVICES ACT.
53	53	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
54	54	SECTION 1. Section 24-12A-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
55	55	Chapter 200, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
56	56	"24-12A-1. RIGHT TO AUTHORIZE CREMATION--DEFINITIONS.--
57	57	A. An adult may authorize the adult's own cremation
58	58	and the lawful disposition of the cremated remains by:
59	59	(1) stating the desire to be cremated in a
60	60	written statement that is signed by the adult and notarized or
61	61	witnessed by two persons; or
62	62	(2) including an express statement in the will
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90	90	indicating that the testator desired that the remains be
91	91	cremated upon death; and
92	92	(3) specifying in the written or express
93	93	statement the type of cremation intended by the authorization .
94	94	B. A personal representative acting pursuant to a
95	95	will or the provisions of Chapter 45, Article 3 NMSA 1978 or a
96	96	funeral service establishment, a direct disposition
97	97	establishment or a crematory shall comply with a statement made
98	98	in conformance with the provisions of Subsection A of this
99	99	section. The statement is authorization to the personal
100	100	representative, funeral establishment, direct disposition
101	101	establishment or crematory that the remains of the decedent are
102	102	to be cremated. Statements dated prior to April 5, 1993 are to
103	103	be given effect if they meet the requirements of Subsection A
104	104	of this section.
105	105	C. A personal representative, funeral service
106	106	establishment, direct disposition establishment or crematory
107	107	acting in reliance upon a document executed pursuant to the
108	108	provisions of this section, who has no actual notice of
109	109	revocation or contrary indication, is presumed to be acting in
110	110	good faith.
111	111	D. A funeral service establishment, direct
112	112	disposition establishment, crematory or employee of a funeral
113	113	establishment, direct disposition establishment or crematory or
114	114	other person that relies in good faith on a statement written
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143	143	pursuant to this section shall not be subject to liability for
144	144	cremating the remains in accordance with the express
145	145	instructions of a decedent. The written document is a complete
146	146	defense to a cause of action by any person against any other
147	147	person acting in accordance with the instructions of the
148	148	decedent.
149	149	E. As used in this section:
150	150	(1) "cremate" means to reduce a dead human
151	151	body by direct flame, chemical agent or biological processing
152	152	to a residue or soil that may include bone fragments; and
153	153	(2) "direct disposition establishment" means
154	154	an office, premises or place of business that provides for the
155	155	disposition of a dead human body as quickly as possible,
156	156	without a funeral, graveside service, committal service or
157	157	memorial service, whether public or private, and without
158	158	embalming of the body unless embalming is required by the place
159	159	of disposition."
160	160	SECTION 2. Section 58-17-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2001,
161	161	Chapter 149, Section 3) is amended to read:
162	162	"58-17-3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Endowed Care
163	163	Cemetery Act:
164	164	A. "affiliate" means a corporation that is related
165	165	to another corporation by shareholdings or other means of
166	166	control and includes a subsidiary, parent or sibling
167	167	corporation;
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196	196	B. "burial park" means a tract of land that has
197	197	been dedicated to the purposes of and used, and intended to be
198	198	used, for the interment of remains in graves;
199	199	C. "care funds" means realty or personalty
200	200	impressed with a trust by the terms of a gift, grant,
201	201	contribution, payment, devise, bequest or contract and income
202	202	accumulated therefrom where legally so directed by the terms of
203	203	the transaction by which the principal was established;
204	204	D. "cemetery" means a place dedicated to and used
205	205	and intended to be used for the permanent interment of remains;
206	206	E. "cemetery authority" means a person that owns,
207	207	operates, controls or manages a cemetery or holds lands for
208	208	burial purposes;
209	209	F. "columbarium" means a structure or space in a
210	210	structure used, or intended to be used, to contain cremated
211	211	remains;
212	212	G. "cremated remains" means remains after
213	213	[incineration in a crematory ] reduction of a dead human body by
214	214	any cremation process ;
215	215	H. "cremation" means [the irreversible process of ]
216	216	reducing remains [to bone fragments through intense heat and
217	217	evaporation in a specifically designed furnace or retort ] by
218	218	direct flame, chemical agent or biological processing and
219	219	[includes] may include a mechanical or thermal process whereby
220	220	the bone fragments are pulverized [or otherwise further reduced
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249	249	in size or quantity];
250	250	I. "crematory" means [a structure of most durable
251	251	and lasting fireproof construction containing one or more
252	252	specifically designed furnaces or retorts, used, or intended to
253	253	be used, for] every place or premise that is used for cremation
254	254	and pulverization of remains;
255	255	J. "crypt" means the chamber in a mausoleum of
256	256	sufficient size to entomb the remains;
257	257	K. "depository institution" means an insured bank,
258	258	thrift institution or credit union;
259	259	L. "director" means the director of the financial
260	260	institutions division of the regulation and licensing
261	261	department;
262	262	M. "endowed care" means the general maintenance of
263	263	the cemetery area dedicated to endowed care, including the
264	264	cutting and trimming of lawns, shrubs and trees at reasonable
265	265	intervals, keeping all places where interments have been made
266	266	in proper order and keeping in repair the drains, waterlines,
267	267	roads, buildings, fences and other structures consistent with a
268	268	well-maintained cemetery; "endowed care" includes overhead
269	269	expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, including
270	270	maintenance of machinery, tools and equipment, compensation of
271	271	employees for the performance of duties related to endowed
272	272	care, including reasonable payments for employees' pension and
273	273	other benefit plans, payment of reasonable and necessary
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302	302	insurance premiums, the maintenance of necessary records of lot
303	303	ownership, transfers and burials and the administration of care
304	304	funds in those instances where those administering the funds
305	305	fail or refuse to act;
306	306	N. "endowed or perpetual care cemetery" means a
307	307	cemetery or that designated portion of a cemetery for the
308	308	benefit of which a care fund is established;
309	309	O. "entombment" means the permanent interment of
310	310	remains in a crypt or vault;
311	311	P. "fraternal cemetery" means a cemetery owned,
312	312	operated, controlled or managed by any fraternal organization
313	313	or its auxiliary organizations, in which the sale of burial
314	314	space is restricted principally to its members;
315	315	Q. "grave" means a space of ground in a burial park
316	316	intended to be used for the permanent interment in the ground
317	317	of remains;
318	318	R. "interment" means the permanent disposition of
319	319	the remains by inurnment, entombment or burial;
320	320	S. "inurnment" means placing cremated remains in an
321	321	urn;
322	322	T. "lot", "plot" or "burial space" means space in a
323	323	cemetery owned by one or more individuals, an association or
324	324	fraternal or other organization and used, or intended to be
325	325	used, for the permanent interment of the remains of one or more
326	326	deceased persons and includes adjoining graves, adjoining
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355	355	crypts or adjoining niches;
356	356	U. "mausoleum" means a structure or building of
357	357	most durable and lasting fireproof construction used or
358	358	intended to be used for the permanent interment in crypts of
359	359	remains;
360	360	V. "municipal cemetery" means a cemetery owned,
361	361	operated, controlled or managed by [a ] an incorporated or
362	362	unincorporated political subdivision;
363	363	W. "niche" means a recess in a columbarium used, or
364	364	intended to be used, for the permanent interment of cremated
365	365	remains;
366	366	X. "no endowed care cemetery" means a cemetery for
367	367	the benefit of which no care fund has been established;
368	368	Y. "plot owner", "owner" or "lot proprietor" means
369	369	a person in whose name a burial plot is recorded in the office
370	370	of the cemetery authority as owner of the exclusive right of
371	371	burial, or who holds from the authority a conveyance of the
372	372	exclusive rights of burial or a certificate of ownership of the
373	373	exclusive right of burial;
374	374	Z. "religious cemetery" means a cemetery owned,
375	375	operated, controlled or managed by a recognized church,
376	376	religious society, association or denomination, or by a
377	377	cemetery authority or a corporation administering, or through
378	378	which is administered the secular matters of a recognized
379	379	church, religious society, association or denomination;
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408	408	AA. "remains" means the body of a deceased person;
409	409	and
410	410	BB. "vault" means a container that is designed for
411	411	placement in a grave space around a casket or urn."
412	412	SECTION 3. Section 61-32-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
413	413	Chapter 204, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
414	414	"61-32-3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Funeral Services
415	415	Act:
416	416	A. "alkaline hydrolysis" means the process of
417	417	reducing a dead human body to its elemental components using
418	418	water, alkaline chemicals and heat inside a watertight vessel;
419	419	[A.] B. "board" means the board of funeral
420	420	services;
421	421	[B.] C. "committal service" means a service at a
422	422	place of interment or entombment that follows a funeral
423	423	conducted at another location;
424	424	[C.] D. "cremains" means cremated remains or soil ;
425	425	[D.] E. "cremation" means the reduction of a dead
426	426	human body by direct flame, chemical agent or biological
427	427	process to a residue or soil that includes bone fragments;
428	428	[E.] F. "crematory" means every place or premises
429	429	that is devoted to or used for cremation and pulverization of
430	430	the cremains;
431	431	[F.] G. "crematory authority" means the individual
432	432	who is ultimately responsible for the operation of a crematory;
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461	461	[G.] H. "department" means the regulation and
462	462	licensing department;
463	463	[H.] I. "direct disposer" means a person licensed
464	464	to engage solely in providing direct disposition at a direct
465	465	disposition establishment, licensed pursuant to the Funeral
466	466	Services Act, as provided in that act;
467	467	[I.] J. "direct disposition" means only the
468	468	disposition of a dead human body as quickly as possible,
469	469	without a direct disposer performing or arranging a funeral,
470	470	graveside service, committal service or memorial service,
471	471	whether public or private, and without embalming of the body
472	472	unless embalming is required by the place of disposition;
473	473	[J.] K. "direct supervision" means that the
474	474	supervising funeral service practitioner is physically present
475	475	with and in direct control of the person being trained;
476	476	[K.] L. "disposition" means the final disposal of a
477	477	dead human body, whether it be by earth interment, above-ground
478	478	interment or entombment, cremation, burial at sea or delivery
479	479	to a medical school, when the medical school assumes complete
480	480	responsibility for the disposal of the body following medical
481	481	study;
482	482	[L.] M. "embalmer" means a person licensed to
483	483	engage in embalming and preparing a dead human body for funeral
484	484	service at a funeral establishment that is licensed pursuant to
485	485	the Funeral Services Act;
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514	514	[M.] N. "embalming" means the disinfection,
515	515	preservation and restoration, when possible, of a dead human
516	516	body by a licensed funeral service practitioner, licensed
517	517	embalmer or a licensed funeral service intern under the
518	518	supervision of a licensed funeral service practitioner;
519	519	[N.] O. "ennichement" means interment of cremains
520	520	in a niche in a columbarium, whether in an urn or not;
521	521	[O.] P. "entombment" means interment of a casketed
522	522	body or cremains in a crypt in a mausoleum;
523	523	[P.] Q. "establishment" means every office,
524	524	premises or place of business where the practice of funeral
525	525	service or direct disposition is conducted or advertised as
526	526	being conducted and includes commercial establishments that
527	527	provide for the practice of funeral service or direct
528	528	disposition services exclusively to licensed funeral or direct
529	529	disposition establishments or a school of medicine;
530	530	[Q.] R. "funeral" means a period following death in
531	531	which there is an organized, purposeful, time-limited, group-
532	532	centered ceremony or rite, whether religious or not, with the
533	533	body of the deceased present;
534	534	[R.] S. "funeral arranger" means a person licensed
535	535	to engage in arrangements and directing of funeral services at
536	536	a funeral establishment that is licensed pursuant to the
537	537	Funeral Services Act;
538	538	[S.] T. "funeral merchandise" means that personal
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567	567	property offered for sale in connection with the
568	568	transportation, funeralization or disposition of a dead human
569	569	body, including the enclosure into which a dead human body is
570	570	or cremains are directly placed, and excluding mausoleum
571	571	crypts, interment enclosures preset in a cemetery and
572	572	columbarium niches;
573	573	[T.] U. "funeral service intern" means a person
574	574	licensed to be in training for the practice of funeral service
575	575	under the supervision and instruction of a funeral service
576	576	practitioner at a funeral establishment or commercial
577	577	establishment, licensed pursuant to the Funeral Services Act;
578	578	[U.] V. "funeral service practitioner" means a
579	579	person licensed to engage in the practice of funeral service at
580	580	a funeral establishment or commercial establishment that is
581	581	licensed pursuant to the Funeral Services Act;
582	582	[V.] W. "funeral services" means those immediate
583	583	post-death activities related to a dead human body and its care
584	584	and disposition, whether with or without rites or ceremonies;
585	585	but "funeral services" does not include disposition of the body
586	586	by a school of medicine following medical study;
587	587	[W.] X. "general supervision" means that the
588	588	supervising funeral service practitioner is not necessarily
589	589	physically present in the establishment with the person being
590	590	trained but is available for advice and assistance;
591	591	[X.] Y. "graveside service" means a funeral held at
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620	620	the graveside only, excluding a committal service that follows
621	621	a funeral conducted at another location;
622	622	[Y.] Z. "jurisprudence examination" means an
623	623	examination prescribed by the board on the statutes, rules and
624	624	regulations pertaining to the practice of funeral service or
625	625	direct disposition, including the Funeral Services Act, the
626	626	rules of the board, state health regulations governing human
627	627	remains and the Vital Statistics Act;
628	628	[Z.] AA. "licensee in charge" means a funeral
629	629	service practitioner who is ultimately responsible for the
630	630	conduct of a funeral or commercial establishment and its
631	631	employees; or a direct disposer who is ultimately responsible
632	632	for the conduct of a direct disposition establishment and its
633	633	employees;
634	634	[AA.] BB. "make arrangements" means advising or
635	635	counseling about specific details for a funeral, graveside
636	636	service, committal service, memorial service, disposition or
637	637	direct disposition;
638	638	[BB.] CC. "memorial service" means a gathering of
639	639	persons for recognition of a death without the presence of the
640	640	body of the deceased;
641	641	DD. "natural organic reduction" means the
642	642	biological process of reducing a dead human body to the body's
643	643	elemental components using organic materials and heat inside a
644	644	watertight vessel;
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673	673	EE. "nontraditional cremation" means the reduction
674	674	of a dead human body to the body's elemental components,
675	675	whether in ash or soil, through a chemical or biological
676	676	process, including alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic
677	677	reduction;
678	678	[CC.] FF. "practice of funeral service" means those
679	679	activities allowed under the Funeral Services Act by a funeral
680	680	service practitioner, funeral arranger, embalmer or funeral
681	681	service intern; [and]
682	682	[DD.] GG. "pulverization" means the process that
683	683	reduces cremains to a granular substance; and
684	684	HH. "traditional cremation" means the reduction of
685	685	a dead human body by direct flame to a residue that may include
686	686	bone fragments."
687	687	SECTION 4. Section 61-32-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
688	688	Chapter 204, Section 11, as amended) is amended to read:
689	689	"61-32-11. LICENSURE OF ESTABLISHMENTS--FUNERAL
690	690	ESTABLISHMENTS--COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS--DIRECT DISPOSITION
691	691	ESTABLISHMENTS--CREMATORIES.--
692	692	A. Funeral establishment licenses shall only be
693	693	granted under the following terms and conditions:
694	694	(1) applications for licensure shall be upon
695	695	forms furnished by the board and shall be accompanied by the
696	696	required fee;
697	697	(2) the establishment shall be maintained at a
698	698	.229189.1
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726	726	specific location primarily devoted to the practice of funeral
727	727	service and shall comply with the following minimum
728	728	requirements:
729	729	(a) a chapel shall be present in which
730	730	funerals may be conducted;
731	731	(b) a display room shall be present for
732	732	displaying caskets and other funeral merchandise; and
733	733	(c) a preparation room shall be present
734	734	with necessary drainage and ventilation and necessary
735	735	instruments and supplies for the preparation and embalming of
736	736	dead human bodies for burial or other disposition or
737	737	transportation; and
738	738	(3) a license shall not be issued or renewed
739	739	by the board unless the establishment is in compliance with the
740	740	Funeral Services Act and board rules.
741	741	B. Commercial establishment licenses shall only be
742	742	granted under the following terms and conditions:
743	743	(1) applications for licensure shall be upon
744	744	forms furnished by the board and shall be accompanied by the
745	745	required fee;
746	746	(2) the establishment shall be maintained at a
747	747	specific location primarily devoted to the practice allowed for
748	748	a commercial establishment and shall comply with the following
749	749	minimum requirements:
750	750	(a) a preparation room shall be present
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779	779	with the necessary drainage and ventilation and necessary
780	780	instruments and supplies for the preparation and embalming of
781	781	dead human bodies for burial or other disposition and
782	782	transportation; and
783	783	(b) an office shall be present for
784	784	conducting business; and
785	785	(3) a license shall not be issued or renewed
786	786	by the board unless the establishment is in compliance with the
787	787	Funeral Services Act and board rules.
788	788	C. Direct disposition establishment licenses shall
789	789	only be granted under the following terms and conditions:
790	790	(1) applications for licensure shall be upon
791	791	forms furnished by the board and shall be accompanied by the
792	792	required fee;
793	793	(2) the establishment shall be maintained at a
794	794	specific location primarily devoted to the practice allowed for
795	795	a direct disposer and shall comply with the following minimum
796	796	requirements:
797	797	(a) a room shall be present with
798	798	necessary drainage and ventilation for housing a refrigeration
799	799	unit;
800	800	(b) a refrigeration unit,
801	801	thermodynamically controlled with a minimum storage area of
802	802	twelve and one-half cubic feet per body, shall be present for
803	803	sheltering of dead human bodies prior to burial or other
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832	832	disposition or transportation;
833	833	(c) an office shall be present for
834	834	conducting business;
835	835	(d) necessary supplies for safely
836	836	handling unembalmed dead human bodies; and
837	837	(e) if funeral merchandise is made
838	838	available, a display room shall be present for displaying
839	839	caskets and other funeral merchandise; and
840	840	(3) no license shall be issued or renewed by
841	841	the board unless the establishment is in compliance with the
842	842	Funeral Services Act and board rules.
843	843	D. Crematory licenses shall only be granted under
844	844	the following terms and conditions:
845	845	(1) applications for licensure shall be upon
846	846	forms furnished by the board and shall be accompanied by the
847	847	required fee;
848	848	(2) the crematory shall be maintained at a
849	849	specific location, including a funeral, commercial or direct
850	850	disposition establishment, primarily devoted to the practice
851	851	allowed for a crematory and shall comply with the following
852	852	minimum requirements:
853	853	(a) for a crematory that performs
854	854	traditional cremation: 1) a room shall be present with
855	855	necessary ventilation for housing a cremation retort; [(b) ] 2)
856	856	a cremation retort shall be present for cremating dead human
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885	885	bodies; and [(c)] 3) a unit to pulverize cremated dead human
886	886	bodies shall be present; and
887	887	(b) for a crematory that performs
888	888	nontraditional cremation: 1) a room shall be present that
889	889	houses the necessary appliances, containers and machinery for
890	890	performing alkaline hydrolysis or natural organic reduction;
891	891	and 2) the necessary supplies shall be maintained for safely
892	892	handling unembalmed dead human bodies; and
893	893	(3) no license shall be issued or renewed by
894	894	the board unless the crematory is in compliance with the
895	895	Funeral Services Act and board rules.
896	896	E. The board may adopt by rule additional
897	897	requirements in the interest of public health, safety and
898	898	welfare."
899	899	SECTION 5. Section 61-32-19 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
900	900	Chapter 204, Section 19, as amended) is amended to read:
901	901	"61-32-19. CREMATION--REQUIREMENTS--RIGHT TO AUTHORIZE
902	902	CREMATION--DISPOSITION OF CREMAINS.--
903	903	A. No cremation shall be performed until all
904	904	necessary documentation is obtained authorizing the cremation.
905	905	B. An adult person may authorize the person's own
906	906	cremation and the lawful disposition of the person's cremains
907	907	by:
908	908	(1) stating the person's desire to be cremated
909	909	in a written statement that is signed by the person and
910	910	.229189.1
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938	938	notarized or witnessed by two other persons; or
939	939	(2) including an express statement in the
940	940	person's will indicating that the testator desired that the
941	941	testator's remains be cremated upon the testator's death; and
942	942	(3) specifying in the written or express
943	943	statement the type of cremation intended by the authorization .
944	944	C. A personal representative acting pursuant to the
945	945	Uniform Probate Code or an establishment or crematory shall
946	946	comply with a statement made in accordance with the provisions
947	947	of this section. A statement that conforms to the provisions
948	948	of this section authorizes a personal representative,
949	949	establishment or crematory to cremate a decedent's remains, and
950	950	the permission of next of kin or any other person shall not be
951	951	required for such authorization. Statements dated prior to
952	952	June 18, 1993 shall be given effect if they meet this section's
953	953	requirements.
954	954	D. A personal representative, establishment or
955	955	crematory acting in reliance upon a document executed pursuant
956	956	to the provisions of this section, who has no actual notice of
957	957	revocation or contrary indication, is presumed to be acting in
958	958	good faith.
959	959	E. No establishment, crematory or employee of an
960	960	establishment or crematory or other person that relies in good
961	961	faith on a statement written pursuant to this section shall be
962	962	subject to liability for cremating the remains in accordance
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991	991	with the provisions of this section. The written authorization
992	992	is a complete defense to a cause of action by a person against
993	993	any other person acting in accordance with that authorization.
994	994	F. Except as provided in Subsection G of this
995	995	section, if a decedent has left no written instructions
996	996	regarding the disposition of the decedent's remains, the
997	997	following persons in the order listed shall determine the means
998	998	of disposition, not to be limited to cremation, of the remains
999	999	of the decedent:
1000	1000	(1) the surviving spouse;
1001	1001	(2) a majority of the surviving adult children
1002	1002	of the decedent;
1003	1003	(3) the surviving parents of the decedent;
1004	1004	(4) a majority of the surviving siblings of
1005	1005	the decedent;
1006	1006	(5) an adult person who has exhibited special
1007	1007	care and concern for the decedent, who is aware of the
1008	1008	decedent's views and desires regarding the disposition of the
1009	1009	[decendent's] decedent's body and who is willing and able to
1010	1010	make a decision about the disposition of the decedent's body;
1011	1011	or
1012	1012	(6) the adult person of the next degree of
1013	1013	kinship in the order named by New Mexico law to inherit the
1014	1014	estate of the decedent.
1015	1015	G. If a decedent left no written instructions
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1044	1044	regarding the disposition of the decedent's remains, died while
1045	1045	serving in any branch of the United States armed forces, the
1046	1046	United States reserve forces or the national guard and
1047	1047	completed a United States department of defense record of
1048	1048	emergency data form or its successor form, the person
1049	1049	authorized by the decedent to determine the means of
1050	1050	disposition on a United States department of defense record of
1051	1051	emergency data form shall determine the means of disposition,
1052	1052	not to be limited to cremation.
1053	1053	H. A licensed establishment or crematory shall keep
1054	1054	an accurate record of all cremations performed and the place of
1055	1055	disposition of the cremains for a period of not less than seven
1056	1056	years.
1057	1057	I. Cremains may be disposed of by any licensed
1058	1058	establishment, crematory authority, cemetery or person having
1059	1059	the right to control the disposition of the cremains, or that
1060	1060	person's agent, in a lawful manner.
1061	1061	J. Legal forms for cremation authorization shall
1062	1062	provide that persons giving the authorization will hold
1063	1063	harmless an establishment from any liability for disposing of
1064	1064	unclaimed cremains in a lawful manner after a period of one
1065	1065	year following the return of the cremains to the
1066	1066	establishment."
1067	1067	SECTION 6. Section 61-32-19.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1999,
1068	1068	Chapter 284, Section 13, as amended) is amended to read:
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1097	1097	"61-32-19.1. CREMATORY--SCOPE OF PRACTICE--LIMITATIONS.--
1098	1098	A. The scope of practice of a crematory and its
1099	1099	crematory authority is limited to traditional and
1100	1100	nontraditional cremation of dead human bodies and pulverization
1101	1101	of cremains. A crematory and its crematory authority shall act
1102	1102	as an agent of licensed funeral, commercial or direct
1103	1103	disposition establishments and schools of medicine. A
1104	1104	crematory and its crematory authority may:
1105	1105	(1) engage in transportation of dead human
1106	1106	bodies to the crematory; and
1107	1107	(2) cremate dead human bodies and pulverize
1108	1108	cremains.
1109	1109	B. After completion of the cremation process, if a
1110	1110	crematory and its crematory authority have not been instructed
1111	1111	by its agent to return the cremains to the person that
1112	1112	initiated the cremation services contract or to arrange for the
1113	1113	interment, entombment or ennichement of the cremains, the
1114	1114	crematory authority shall return, or cause to be returned, the
1115	1115	cremains to the establishment no later than thirty days after
1116	1116	the date of cremation.
1117	1117	C. A crematory and its crematory authority shall
1118	1118	maintain a system or process that ensures that any dead human
1119	1119	body in the crematory's possession can be specifically
1120	1120	identified throughout all phases of the cremation process.
1121	1121	D. A crematory shall keep an accurate record of all
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1150	1150	cremations performed for a period of not less than seven years.
1151	1151	E. The crematory and its crematory authority shall
1152	1152	certify to the board that the crematory will not exceed the
1153	1153	scope of practice allowed by law.
1154	1154	F. A licensed crematory shall not engage in any
1155	1155	activity not specifically permitted in this section."
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