S*0968(Rat #0362, Act #0334)  General Bill, By Jackson, Ford, Reese and 
Washington

Similar(S 846, S 851, H 4569)
 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 additional
 requirements for the identification, preservation, and disposition of bodies
 and for related expenses.-amended title

   12/20/93  Senate Prefiled
   12/20/93  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs
   01/11/94  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-52
   01/11/94  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs SJ-52
   01/27/94  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Medical Affairs SJ-10
   02/01/94  Senate Amended SJ-21
   02/01/94  Senate Read second time SJ-22
   02/01/94  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-22
   02/02/94  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-19
   02/03/94  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-8
   02/03/94  House  Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-8
   02/23/94  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-5
   03/24/94  House  Amended HJ-40
   03/24/94  House  Read second time HJ-41
   03/29/94  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with
                     amendments HJ-16
   03/30/94  Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled SJ-26
   04/14/94         Ratified R 362
   04/20/94         Signed By Governor
   04/20/94         Effective date 04/20/94
   05/02/94         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 17-5-290, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DISPOSITION OF DEAD BODIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, PRESERVATION, AND DISPOSITION OF BODIES AND FOR RELATED EXPENSES.

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

Additional requirements for the identification, preservation, and disposition of bodies; related expenses

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

"Section 17-5-290. (A) After the postmortem examination, autopsy, or inquest has been completed, the dead body must be released to the person legally entitled to it for burial. If no person claims the body, the county medical examiner or his deputy shall notify the board created pursuant to Section 44-43-510. If that board does not accept the body, it must be turned over 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, the estate must be taken for that purpose before an expense under this section is imposed upon a county.

(B) If 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. The body must be preserved for not less than thirty days, unless the body is identified within that time. If the body has not been identified at the end of that time, the Medical University may retain possession of the body for its use and benefit or return the body to the coroner of the county where death occurred for disposition as provided by law. A facility other than the Medical University utilized by the coroner for storage of an 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.

(C) If an unidentified body is preserved at the Medical University, the county is responsible for transporting the body to and from the Medical University; however, the county is not responsible for the cost of preserving the body at the Medical University. If an unidentified body is preserved at the Medical University, the Medical University must absorb the cost of preserving the body for not less than thirty days."

Time effective

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

Approved the 20th day of April, 1994.