North Carolina Rep. Jones funeral services and cremation bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Brenden H. Jones aims to update regulations on funeral services, cremation methods, and the handling of human remains in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 45 Democrats and 65 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 20 Democrats and 25 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Jones filed the bill in the North Carolina House on April 10 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 1003, was passed on June 25 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Board of Funeral Service Modifications.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill modifies North Carolina’s laws on funeral services, cremation, and the handling of human remains, effective Oct. 1, 2025. It introduces and defines the process of alkaline hydrolysis alongside traditional cremation. The bill addresses changes to the definitions, procedures, and regulations associated with funeral services, including the licensing of crematories and managers, and the recording and handling of cremated remains. It mandates crematories to follow public health and environmental laws, sets standards for cremation containers, and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. Additionally, the bill differentiates between preneed funeral contracts and transportation protection agreements while adjusting regulations on life insurance as it relates to funeral arrangements. An emphasis is placed on updating the record-keeping and licensing requirements for crematories. The bill also allows the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service to adopt temporary rules to facilitate these changes.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Brenden H. Jones (Republican-46th District), Rep. Charles W. Miller (Republican-19th District), and Rep. A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr. (Republican-65th District), along with one other sponsor.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Jones, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 46th House district, replacing previous state representative Ken Waddell.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.