The bill amends Section 23-4-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-4, which pertains to the "Office of State Medical Examiners," specifically addressing the disposition of deceased bodies. The amendment includes new provisions for the release of deceased bodies after a postmortem external examination or autopsy. The state is responsible for the cost of transporting the deceased body to the office of state medical examiners if an autopsy is required by law. Additionally, the amendment outlines the process if the deceased's relatives, representatives, domestic partners, or other authorized persons fail to claim the body within 14 days or do not arrange for its removal from the state medical examiner's morgue within 30 days of receiving notice of the death. In such cases, the body is deemed unclaimed and will be buried in accordance with § 40-6-3.10.

The bill also defines "domestic partner" for the purposes of this chapter, setting out specific criteria for the relationship between the domestic partner and the decedent. These criteria include age, mental competence, marital status, blood relation, cohabitation, and financial interdependence, with examples provided for the latter. The bill stipulates that the general treasurer of the state has the priority to recover burial expenses from the estate of the deceased person. The act will take effect upon passage. The explanation by the Legislative Council states that the act provides procedures for the burial of unclaimed remains.

Statutes affected:
2816  SUB A: 23-4-10
2816: 23-4-10