As used in this chapter:

(1) ‘Alkaline hydrolysis‘ or ‘hydrolysis’ means the technical process for reducing human remains by placing the remains in a dissolution chamber that uses heat, pressure, water and base chemical agents, in a licensed hydrolysis facility, to reduce human remains to bone fragments and essential elements.

(2) ‘Board’ means the State Mortuary and Cemetery Board.

(3) ‘Cemetery’ means any one, or a combination of more than one, of the following, in a place used, or intended to be used, and dedicated, for cemetery purposes:

(a) A burial park, for earth interments;

(b) A mausoleum, for crypt interments;

(c) A columbarium, for permanent interments of cremated or reduced remains;

(d) A scattering garden or other designated area above or below ground where a person may pay to establish a memorial of cremated or reduced remains; or

(e) A cenotaph, the primary purpose of which is to provide an area where a person may pay to establish a memorial to honor a person whose remains may be interred elsewhere or whose remains cannot be recovered.

(4) ‘Exempt operating cemetery‘ means an operating cemetery that has 10 or fewer interments annually.

(5) ‘Final disposition’ means the burial, interment, cremation, dissolution, reduction or other disposition of human remains authorized by the board by rule.

(6) ‘Holding room’ means a room that is located in a licensed facility for the care, storage or holding of dead human bodies prior to effecting disposition.

(7) ‘Immediate disposition company’ means any business licensed under this chapter, other than a licensed funeral establishment, where a licensed funeral service practitioner operates the business of immediate final disposition and where business records are kept.

(8) ‘Natural organic reduction’ means the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil.

(9) ‘Operating cemetery’ means a cemetery that:

(a) Performs interments;

(b) Has fiduciary responsibility for endowment care, general care or special care funds; or

(c) Has outstanding preneed service contracts for unperformed services.

(10) ‘Reduced remains’ means the remains of a human body after completion of reduction.

(11) ‘Reduction’ means alkaline hydrolysis, natural organic reduction and any other method of final disposition of human remains authorized by the board.

(12) ‘Rental cover’ means a partial enclosure that appears similar to a casket that is utilized for viewing purposes and surrounds the burial, cremation or alternative container. [Amended by 1957 c.596 § 1; 1983 c.810 § 3; 1985 c.207 § 7; 1987 c.252 § 10; 1989 c.177 § 1; 1997 c.638 § 2; 2001 c.224 § 1; 2007 c.436 § 1; 2009 c.709 § 1; 2021 c.296 § 19]

[Amended by 1973 c.411 § 1; repealed by 1983 c.810 § 29]