§ 35-1-241 — Safe disposal of corpses in emergency circumstances

Wyoming § 35-1-241

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 35: Public Health and Safety
• Ch. 1: ADMINISTRATION
• Art. 2: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Text

(a) The state health officer in consultation with the
appropriate county coroner, during the period that a public
health emergency exists, may:
(i) Adopt and enforce measures to provide for the
safe disposal of corpses as may be reasonable and necessary for
emergency response. These measures may include the embalming,
burial, cremation, interment, disinterment, transportation and
disposal of corpses;
(ii) Take possession or control of any corpse;
(iii) Order the disposal of any corpse of a person
who has died of an infectious disease through burial or
cremation within twenty-four (24) hours after death;
(iv) Compel any person authorized to embalm, bury,
cremate, inter, disinter, transport or dispose of corpses to
accept any corpse or provide the use of his business or facility
if the actions are reasonable and necessary for emergency
response. The use of a business or facility may include
transferring the management and supervision of the business or
facility to the state health officer and granting the right for
the state health officer to take immediate possession for a
limited or unlimited period of time, but shall not exceed beyond
the termination of the public health emergency.
(b) Every corpse prior to disposal pursuant to subsection
(a) of this section shall be clearly labeled with all available
information to identify the decedent and the circumstances of
death. Any corpse of a deceased person with an infectious
disease shall have an external, clearly visible tag indicating
that the corpse is infected and, if known, the infectious
disease.
(c) Every person in charge of disposing of any corpse
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall maintain a
written record of each corpse and all available information to
identify the decedent and the circumstances of death and
disposal. If a corpse cannot be identified, prior to disposal a
qualified person shall, to the extent possible, take
fingerprints and one (1) or more photographs of the corpse, and
collect a DNA specimen. All information collected under this
subsection shall be promptly forwarded to the state health
official.
(d) As used in this section "public health emergency"
means as defined by W.S. 35-4-115(a)(i).