§ 20-17-706 — Cost of embalming and transportation

(a) If a medical school is offered an unclaimed body and determines that there is a need for the unclaimed body, that the unclaimed body is suitable for anatomical science or study, and that the unclaimed body has not been embalmed, then the medical school, at its expense, shall immediately arrange for proper embalmment of the unclaimed body by a licensed embalmer, either with the person having possession, charge, or control of the unclaimed body if the person is a licensed embalmer or licensed funeral director or with any other licensed embalmer or licensed funeral director. (b) If the body has been embalmed before the claim of the medical school, as is customary, or the body is embalmed by its direction according to the provisions of this subchapter, the medical school shall pay twenty-five dollars ($25.00) as a reimbursement of embalming expenses and shall assume costs for transportation of the body when shipment is at its direction. (c) Should the body be embalmed before legal claim, any person or organization asserting legal claim to the body within forty-eight (48) hours after death as provided in this subchapter shall assume responsibility for at least twenty-five dollars ($25.00) of the cost thereof, together with reasonable costs for transportation of the body which may have been incurred. (d) If the deceased had provided for the use of his or her body for medical science under the Revised Arkansas Anatomical Gift Act, § 20-17-1201 et seq., and provided funds in his or her estate for burial, the medical school shall be free of all claims for the expenses as ordinarily provided under subsections (a)-(c) of this section.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2019, No. 954,§ 4, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2017, No. 147,§ 4, eff. 2/7/2017. Amended by Act 2013, No. 1132,§ 17, eff. 8/16/2013. Acts 1959, No. 22, §§ 3, 14; A.S.A. 1947, §§ 82-405.1, 82-405.6; Acts 1993, No. 403, § 13.