Idaho Rep. aims to widen cannibalism definition over composting worries

August 2024 · 1 minute read

One Idaho Representative wants to expand the definition of cannibalism in Idaho.

Representative Heather Scott presented a bill Thursday before a House Committee that would expand language in a previous one prohibiting cannibalism.

Scott reported before the committee she heard that Washington State was beginning "human composting." This was the impetus for her bill.

Washington State legalized human composting, followed shortly by Colorado and Oregon. The primary concern Scott is working to prevent from happening in Idaho is human compost getting into the food supply. To stop that, Scott says they need to expand the definition of cannibalism.

Idaho law currently prohibits anyone from knowingly ingesting the blood or flesh of a human being. The law does not mention anything about willfully providing the flesh or blood of a human being to another person to ingest without their knowledge or consent, which could be possible by using human compost in the food supply.

"I actually looked up cannibalism, and to my surprise, there is only one state in the union that it is illegal, and that is Idaho," said Heather Scott before the House Committee.

The State Affairs Committee voted to carry the motion.

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