§ 20-17-707 — Holding period for medical school

(a) A medical school shall cause any unclaimed body offered and accepted under this subchapter to be retained in a proper state of preservation for fifteen (15) days after the date the unclaimed body is received by the medical school. (b) During the time period under subsection (a) of this section a relative, a next of kin, a friend, a representative of a fraternal society of which the deceased was a member, a veterans service organization as defined in the Missing in America Project Act, § 20-17-1401 et seq., the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or a representative of a charitable or religious group may claim the unclaimed body for burial or cremation at his or her or its expense as stated in § 20-17-706(a) -(c). (c) If a claim is made, the medical school shall be reimbursed by the claimant for the embalming fee and transportation charges that have been incurred by the medical school in favor of the body claimed. (d) If the unclaimed body is not claimed by any person or organization within fifteen (15) days from the date of arrival at the medical school, then all right, title, and interest in the unclaimed body shall be deemed to vest in the state for the benefit of the medical school, and any living relative, next of kin, friend, or organization shall be deemed to have consented irrevocably to use of the unclaimed body for the advancement or study of medical science.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2019, No. 954,§ 5, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2017, No. 147,§ 4, eff. 2/7/2017. Amended by Act 2013, No. 723,§ 4, eff. 8/16/2013. Acts 1959, No. 22, § 6; A.S.A. 1947, § 82-405.4.