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Democratic State Senator Jaime Pedersen is proposing legislation to offer Washingtonians two new options for final arrangements after death.

Option one would legalize alkaline hydrolysis. That’s a process similar to cremation, but it uses water, lye, pressure and heat rather than fire.

It’s not new. At least 16 other states — including Oregon and California — have already legalized it as an alternative to cremation.

The second proposal would make Washington State the first in the nation to legalize human composting, also known as recomposition.

Recomposition involves putting the body into a coffin or other vessel along with a bunch of organic material, then applying some heat and some air to it. That accelerates the process of breaking down the body so that within about a month the body and organic material are reduced to soil.

There was no real opposition to the bill at the committee hearing, though some funeral home operators expressed some concerns.

Supporters say it is also more environmentally friendly and cheaper than more traditional methods.

Senator Pedersen estimates the cost of alkaline hydrolisis is between $1,500 and $2,000, similar to traditional cremation, while composting will set you back about $5,000, much less than traditional burial.

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