§ 35-4-601 — Delivery of unclaimed bodies for anatomical study

Any member of the following boards or officers to-wit: The board
of health of any city, town or county in the state; the mayor or
common council of any city, and the officers or board having
direction or control of any almshouse, prison hospital, house of
correction or jail, in the state, shall, when so requested,
surrender the dead bodies of such persons as may be required to
be buried at the public expense, to any regularly licensed
physician or dentist or medical college in the state or to a
person certified by a state or local law enforcement agency to
train search and rescue animals, in accordance with such rules
as may be prescribed by the state department of health; such
bodies to be used by said physician, dentist, medical college or
person, for the advancement of anatomical science or the
training of search and rescue animals; preference being given to
the faculty of any legally organized state medical college or
school of anatomy, for their use in the instruction of medical
students; provided that in no case shall the faculties or other
officers of such medical college or school of anatomy require or
receive from any medical student or students, for such body so
furnished therein, any sum of money in excess of the actual cost
of procuring the same.