S 0851 General Bill, By Jackson, Reese and Washington

Similar(S 846, S 968)
 A Bill to amend Section 17-5-290, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to the disposition of dead bodies, so as to provide that unclaimed or
 unidentified bodies must be preserved at the Medical University of South
 Carolina or another suitable facility for a period of six months.

   09/13/93  Senate Prefiled
   09/13/93  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs
   01/11/94  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-20
   01/11/94  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs SJ-20

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 17-5-290, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DISPOSITION OF DEAD BODIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT UNCLAIMED OR UNIDENTIFIED BODIES MUST BE PRESERVED AT THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA OR ANOTHER SUITABLE FACILITY FOR A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 17-5-290 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 17-5-290. After the postmortem examination or autopsy or inquest has been completed, the dead body shall be released to the person legally entitled thereto for burial. If no person claims the body, the county medical examiner or his deputy shall notify the Anatomical Board of the State. or the body cannot be identified through reasonable efforts, the coroner shall forward the body to the Medical University of South Carolina or other suitable facility for preservation. At the expense of the county the body shall be preserved for a period of no less than six months, unless it is claimed within such time. At the end of the six-month period, if the body has not been claimed, the Medical University may retain possession of the body for its use and benefit or return the body If the Anatomical Board shall not accept such body, it shall be turned over to the coroner of the county where death occurred for disposition as provided by law. Any other facility utilized by the coroner for storage of an unclaimed or unidentified body may dispose of the body as provided by law or return the body to the coroner of the county where death occurred for disposition as provided by law. If the deceased has an estate out of which burial expenses can be paid either in whole or in part, such estate shall be taken for such purpose before any expense under this section is imposed upon any county."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.