South Carolina General Assembly
106th Session, 1985-1986

Bill 547


                    Current Status

Bill Number:               547
Ratification Number:       124
Act Number:                81
Introducing Body:          Senate
Subject:                        Transportation of bodies dead of
                           dangerous, contagious, or infectious
                           disease
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A81, R124, S547)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 44-29-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION OF BODIES DEAD OF DANGEROUS, CONTAGIOUS, OR INFECTIOUS DISEASE, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT FUNERAL DIRECTORS, AMBULANCE DRIVERS, AND OTHERS WHO ARE TO TRANSPORT HUMAN REMAINS KNOWN TO BE INFECTED BY ANY DANGEROUS, CONTAGIOUS, OR INFECTIOUS DISEASE BE INFORMED THAT THE REMAINS ARE SO INFECTED, TO REQUIRE SIMILAR NOTIFICATION WHEN HUMAN REMAINS SO INFECTED AND KNOWN TO BE INFECTED ARE NOT TO BE MOVED IMMEDIATELY BUT ARE TO BE OPERATED ON FOR AUTOPSY OR OTHERWISE HANDLED, AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (DEPARTMENT) TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, MAKE AND DISTRIBUTE TO CERTAIN ENTITIES AND PERSONS A LIST OF DISEASES REGARDED AS DANGEROUS, CONTAGIOUS, OR INFECTIOUS AND DESIGNATE THE DISEASES SO DANGEROUS THAT TRANSPORTATION OF HUMAN REMAINS INFECTED BY THEM IS FORBIDDEN EXCEPT UNDER CONDITIONS PRESCRIBED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

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

Transportation of human remains

SECTION 1. Section 44-29-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 44-29-20. Prior to transportation of human remains known to be infected by any dangerous, contagious, or infectious disease into, through, or out of this State or any city, town, or county within this State, the hospital, health or medical clinic, physician, medical facility, person, or other entity in possession of the human remains shall inform any funeral director, ambulance driver, or any other person or entity who is to transport the remains that the remains are infected by a dangerous, contagious, or infectious disease.

In the event that human remains as described above are not to be moved immediately but are to be operated on for purposes of autopsy or otherwise handled, any doctor, technician, or other person charged with the responsibility of handling the remains known to be infected by any dangerous, contagious, or infectious disease must be informed that the remains are so infected.

For the purpose of enforcing this section, the Department of Health and Environmental Control (department) shall make and distribute, at intervals considered necessary by the department, to all hospitals, health or medical clinics, other medical facilities, persons, or other entities who may normally be in possession of human remains a list declaring what diseases are regarded as dangerous, contagious, or infectious and shall classify these diseases and shall designate the diseases as are of so dangerous a character that transportation of human remains infected by them is forbidden except under conditions as prescribed by the department which it considers proper for the transportation of those remains."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.