Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:4569 Primary Sponsor:J. Brown Committee Number:27 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Unidentified dead bodies, preservation of Residing Body:House Current Committee:Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Companion Bill Number:968 Date Tabled:19940222 Computer Document Number:CYY/15565AC.94 Introduced Date:19940119 Last History Body:House Last History Date:19940222 Last History Type:Tabled in Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:J. Brown McMahand Cobb-Hunter Wilkes G. Bailey Sturkie Corning Shissias Inabinett Kennedy Hines Whipper Neal Byrd Hallman Riser M.O. Alexander Fulmer Wright Breeland Scott Kelley Harrelson Anderson Haskins Richardson Neilson Wilkins Cromer Chamblee Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN Leg Involved
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4569 House 19940222 Tabled in Committee 27
4569 House 19940119 Introduced, read first time, 27
referred to Committee
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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 UNIDENTIFIED BODIES MUST BE PRESERVED AT THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA OR OTHER SUITABLE FACILITY FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY DAYS AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE FINAL DISPOSITION OF THE BODIES.
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 must be released to the person legally entitled thereto to the body for burial. If no person claims the body, the county medical examiner or his the examiner's deputy shall notify the Anatomical Board of the State board created pursuant to Section 44-43-510 for the distribution and delivery of dead bodies. If the Anatomical Board shall board does not accept such the body, it shall 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, such the estate shall must be taken for such that purpose before any expense under this section is imposed upon any the county. If the dead 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 must be preserved for a period of no less than thirty days, unless the body is identified within that time. If the body has not been identified at the end of the thirty-day period, 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. Any other facility 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 as provided by law."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.