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H. 4188

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Pope, B. Newton, M.M. Smith, B.L. Cox, Brewer, Ford, Davis, Robbins, Yow and C. Mitchell
Document Path: LC-0122AHB25.docx

Introduced in the House on March 20, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on February 11, 2026
Last Amended on May 5, 2026
Currently residing in the House

Summary: Coroners, disposition of unidentified or unclaimed remains

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date	Body	Action Description with journal page number
3/20/2025	House	Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 15)
3/20/2025	House	Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 15)
1/28/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M. Smith, Cox, Brewer, Ford, Davis, Robbins
2/5/2026	House	Committee report: Favorable Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 4)
2/10/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Yow, C. Mitchell
2/10/2026	House	Read second time (House Journal-page 20)
2/10/2026	House	Roll call Yeas-106 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 20)
2/11/2026	House	Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 13)
2/11/2026	Senate	Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 10)
2/11/2026	Senate	Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 10)
4/29/2026	Senate	Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 17)
5/5/2026	Senate	Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 39)
5/5/2026	Senate	Amended (Senate Journal-page 39)
5/5/2026	Senate	Read second time (Senate Journal-page 39)
5/5/2026	Senate	Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 39)
5/6/2026	Senate	Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 82)
5/12/2026	House	Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 103)
5/13/2026	House	Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House Journal-page 67)
5/13/2026	House	Roll call Yeas-114 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 68)
5/14/2026		Ratified R 191
5/15/2026		Signed By Governor

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

3/20/2025
2/5/2026
4/29/2026
5/5/2026

(R191, H4188)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-590, RELATING TO DISPOSITION OF REMAINS OF UNIDENTIFIABLE DEAD BODIES BY CORONERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR WHEN A BODY IS UNIDENTIFIABLE AND WHEN A BODY IS UNCLAIMED, AND TO AUTHORIZE CORONERS TO CREMATE SUCH REMAINS THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DISCOVERY.

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

Coroners, disposition of unidentifiable or unclaimed remains

SECTION 1.    Section 17-5-590 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 17-5-590.    (A) For purposes of this section:

(1) a body is unidentifiable if the dead person's identity is unknown or cannot be established after all available methods have been exhausted; and

(2) a body is unclaimed if:

(a) a person cannot be located to take custody of the body; or

(b) there is a person to take custody of the body, but that person cannot or will not assume financial responsibility for disposition of the body.

(B) If the body of a dead person is unidentifiable or unclaimed, the remains may be cremated thirty days from the date of death or date of discovery. The coroner or medical examiner may have the remains buried or interred in a cemetery in the county in which the remains were found.

(C) If a coroner has possession of human remains that have been identified and the deceased person has been determined to be an unclaimed veteran, then the coroner must release the remains to a funeral home, funeral establishment, or mortuary for disposition pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 12, Title 25.

Time effective

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

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.

Approved the _____________ day of _________________________________________2026.

This web page was last updated on May 14, 2026 at 9:07 PM