Coffins could become optional and ashes may be turned into memorial keepsakes, including gemstones, under a proposed burial law amendment in Rheinland-Pfalz. (Arthur Mondale/Army and Air Force Exchange Service)

The state of Rheinland-Pfalz is looking to modernize its burial law for the first time in nearly 40 years, with proposed changes that officials say are aimed at reflecting evolving social and cultural norms.

An amendment approved by the the state’s Council of Ministers would allow shroud burials, river burials in major waterways and keepsakes made from ashes, such as memorial gemstones, the council said in a statement Tuesday.

Current law requires that human remains, whether in a coffin or urn, be buried in a cemetery with limited exceptions.

The proposed legislation would also recognize fetal remains from pregnancies ending before 24 weeks or weighing less than 500 grams (about 1 pound, 2 ounces) as “star children,” granting families the right to a formal burial, according to the statement.

The state parliament is expected to review the proposal next week, and health officials hope to finalize the law by July, the statement said.