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Let’s Help Legalize Body Composting in Maryland!
From:
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death, Funeral Expert Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death, Funeral Expert
For Immediate Release:
Dateline: Albuquerque, NM
Sunday, March 26, 2023

 

Natural organic reduction, or NOR (a.k.a. body composting), might become legal in Maryland! It could become the seventh state to legalize natural organic reduction – but we need your help right now. Here’s a video message about this from Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®.

What is NOR/Body Composting?

Natural Organic Reduction body composting vessel

Body composting vessel and compost from the Natural Funeral.

As you may know, natural organic reduction or NOR is the process for the final disposition of human remains which converts them to soil in a controlled vessel.  Because it doesn’t directly consume fossil fuels, NOR is considered a “green” or eco-friendly funeral option that avoids carbon emissions – with some estimates that indicate it prevents a metric ton of CO2 in comparison to conventional burial or cremation methods.  You can find out more about natural organic reduction from recent articles in the National Geographic, Popular Science, Yahoo News and even the New York Post.

At the request of my friends from greenlegacy.com in my hometown of Silver Spring, Maryland, the state legislature is currently considering HB 1060 – Cremation – Natural Organic Reduction – Regulation.  If it passes, this bill will legalize NOR in Maryland and allow the state oversight agencies to regulate it.  You can find a copy of the bill here.  The Maryland House of Delegates has already approved the bill and now it is in the Senate Finance Committee’s court to decide.

I am urging all my friends in Maryland to let the Finance Committee know you care.  Sign up to testify.  If you can’t sign up to testify, then send an email.  If you can’t send an email, then call.  We need you to speak up for HB 1060 and let your elected officials hear from you.  BUT ACT FAST – THE HEARING IS THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 AT 1PM.

You can do both/either of the following options:

  1. Email your written testimony to the committee. A list of the emails for committee members is below.
  2. Submit your written testimony through the MyMGA portal. You must submit during the hours of 8:00AM – 3:00PM on the day before the hearing (Tuesday, March 28). Please create an account, click “Witness Signup”, navigate to HB1060, select “Favorable with Amendments”, select “Written” from the Testimony drop down menu, and attach your written testimony (must be a PDF). Then scroll back to the top of the page and click “Save”. Please don’t navigate away from the page until it has processed your submission. You can check that it has been processed successfully by clicking “Signed Up Items” (next to the “Save” button).

Please send a courtesy copy of your testimony/emails to Delegate Anne Kaiser, the bill’s sponsor, at [email protected]. You can also call Legislative Aide Caroline Davenport at 301-858-3036 if you have any trouble.

Stay tuned to agoodgoodby.com for updates and more news.  And thank you for getting involved.

Sen. Melony Griffith, Chair

Prince George’s County

410-841-3127[email protected]
Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, Vice-Chair Baltimore County410-841-3620[email protected]
Sen. Pamela Beidle

Anne Arundel County

410-841-3593[email protected]
Sen. Arthur Ellis

Charles County

410-841-3616[email protected]
Sen. Dawn Gile

Anne Arundel County

410-841-3568[email protected]
Sen. Antonio Hayes

Baltimore City

410-841-3656[email protected]
Sen. Stephen S. Hershey

Kent, Queen Anne’s, Cecil, Caroline

410-841-3762[email protected]
Sen. Benjamin F. Kramer

Montgomery County

410-841-3151[email protected]
Sen. Clarence K. Lam

Anne Arundel, Howard

410-841-3653[email protected]
Sen. Johnny Mautz

Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico

410-841-3590[email protected]
Sen. Justin Ready

Frederick, Carroll

410-841-3683[email protected]
Cut and Paste Committee-Wide Email[email protected], katheri[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Gail Rubin, CT, is author and host of the award-winning book and television series, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.

Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist (that's a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the end-of-life and funeral planning conversation started. She "knocked 'em dead" with her TEDx talk, A Good Goodbye. She provides continuing education credit classes for attorneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals. She's a Certified Funeral Celebrant and funeral planning consultant who has been interviewed in national and local print, broadcast and online media.

Known as The Doyenne of Death®, she is the event coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival and author of a guide to holding such festivals. Her podcast is also called The Doyenne of Death®. She produces videos about the funeral business and related topics. Her YouTube Channel features more than 600 videos!

Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association. Her speaking profile is available at eSpeakers.com.

Gail Rubin has been interviewed about funeral planning issues in national and local broadcast, print and online media. Outlets include The Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, CBS Radio News, WGN-TV,  and local affiliates for NPR, PBS, FOX, ABC-TV, CBS-TV and NBC-TV. Albuquerque Business First named her as one of their 2019 Women of Influence.

Sign up for a free planning form and occasional informative newsletter at her website, AGoodGoodbye.com.

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Name: Gail Rubin
Group: A Good Goodbye
Dateline: Albuquerque, NM United States
Direct Phone: 505-265-7215
Cell Phone: 505-363-7514
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