South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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H. 3281

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. King and Robinson
Document Path: l:\council\bills\bh\7320ahb21.docx

Introduced in the House on January 12, 2021
Introduced in the Senate on March 17, 2021
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Cremation permits, coroners

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/9/2020  House   Prefiled
   12/9/2020  House   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
   1/12/2021  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 144)
   1/12/2021  House   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry 
                        (House Journal-page 144)
   3/11/2021  House   Committee report: Favorable Labor, Commerce and Industry 
                        (House Journal-page 5)
   3/16/2021  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 33)
   3/16/2021  House   Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-2 (House Journal-page 33)
   3/17/2021  House   Read third time and sent to Senate 
                        (House Journal-page 24)
   3/17/2021  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 6)
   3/17/2021  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 6)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/9/2020
3/11/2021

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

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Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE REPORT

March 11, 2021

H. 3281

Introduced by Reps. King and Robinson

S. Printed 3/11/21--H.

Read the first time January 12, 2021.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON

LABOR, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

To whom was referred a Bill (H. 3281) to amend Section 17-5-600, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to permits for cremation which must be issued by coroners, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:

WILLIAM E. SANDIFER III for Committee.

            

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 17-5-600, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PERMITS FOR CREMATION WHICH MUST BE ISSUED BY CORONERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT NO FEE FOR A PERMIT FOR CREMATION MAY BE CHARGED; AND TO AMEND SECTION 44-63-40, RELATING TO COUNTY REGISTRARS AND THE ISSUANCE OF BURIAL-REMOVAL-TRANSIT PERMITS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT A CORONER OR MEDICAL EXAMINER FROM CHARGING A FEE FOR SUCH PERMIT.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 17-5-600 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 17-5-600.    When the body of any a dead person who died in the county is to be cremated, the person who has requested the cremation must secure a permit for the cremation from the coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner, or deputy medical examiner. A person who wilfully fails to secure a permit for cremation is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty dollars and not more than five hundred dollars. A permit for cremation promptly must be acted upon by the coroner or medical examiner and no fee for a permit for cremation may be charged."

SECTION    2.    Section 44-63-40 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 44-63-40.    (A)    The State Registrar must appoint the chief administrative officer of each county health department as the county registrar. All persons in the county required by law to file reports of birth, death, and fetal death must transmit these reports to the State Registrar at intervals prescribed by the State Registrar. The county registrar may appoint a deputy registrar who is vested with the right to carry on the duties of the office. The county registrar and deputy registrar must carry out the duties formerly carried out by local registrars without additional compensation. The county registrar must appoint a subregistrar for each hospital, nursing home, and other institution as required within the county whose duty it is to issue Burial-Removal-Transit Permits for deaths occurring at the hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions. The county registrar must require the coroner of the county to issue Burial-Removal-Transit Permits for deaths occurring outside hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions.

(B)    No coroner or medical examiner may charge a fee for a Burial-Removal-Transit Permit."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on March 18, 2021 at 11:41 AM