H 4188

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4188
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
Indicates Matter
Stricken
Indicates New Matter
Committee Amendment Adopted and Amended
May 5, 2026
H. 4188
Introduced by Reps. Pope, B. Newton, M. M. Smith,
Cox, Brewer, Ford, Davis, Robbins, Yow and C. Mitchell
S. Printed 5/5/26--S.
Read the first time February 11, 2026
________
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION 17-5-590, RELATING TO DISPOSITION OF REMAINS OF UNIDENTIFIED DEAD
BODIES BY CORONERS, SO AS TO INCLUDE UNCLAIMED REMAINS IN THE PURVIEW OF THE
STATUTE, AND TO AUTHORIZE CORONERS TO RELEASE REMAINS TO FAMILY MEMBERS, RATHER
THAN THE NEXT OF KIN, WHEN THE NEXT OF KIN IS CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE
DEATH OR OTHERWISE UNCOOPERATIVE IN CLAIMING REMAINS.
    Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Section 17-5-590 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
    Section
17-5-590.  (A) For
purposes of this section:
       (1) a body is unidentifiable if the
dead person's identity is unknown or cannot be established after all available
methods have been exhausted; and
       (2) a body is unclaimed if:
  (a) a person cannot be located to take
custody of the body, or
  (b) there is a person to take custody
of the body, but that person cannot or will not assume financial responsibility
for disposition of the body.
    (B) If the body of a dead person
is unidentifiable or unclaimed, the remains may not be cremated for at least thirty
days from the date of death or date of discovery.
The coroner or medical examiner mustmay have the remains buried or interred in a cemetery in
the county in which the remains were found.
    (B)(C) If a coroner has possession of human remains that have
been identified and the deceased person has been determined to be an unclaimed
veteran, then the coroner must release the remains to a funeral home, funeral
establishment, or mortuary for disposition pursuant to the provisions of
Chapter 12, Title 25.
SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on May 05, 2026 at 05:52 PM