Committee advances bill expanding who may claim cremated remains and permitting cremation of unclaimed remains

The committee moved unanimously to pass House Bill 4188 after hearing from a funeral-industry witness who described practical problems when the legal next of kin are implicated in a death or otherwise fail to claim remains.

Miss Brumfield summarized the bill, saying it "requires the coroner to release the remains of a deceased person to another family member of a deceased if the next of kin is charged in connection with the death or if the next of kin is uncooperative in claiming the remains" and that the bill "also states if a body of a dead person is unclaimed, the remains may be cremated 30 days from the date of death or the date of discovery."

Mr. Smith, who identified himself as operating in the funeral home business with multiple locations, told the committee coroners and funeral homes sometimes must care for cremated remains long-term when legal next of kin are unavailable or incarcerated. He said the bill would "allow them to extend that list of family members who can pick up those cremated remains." He also noted prior changes had enabled burial or interment of unclaimed veteran remains and that coroners' associations supported the measure.

A committee member asked whether provisions referencing veterans covered homeless veterans or those with no family; Mr. Smith confirmed the existing provisions had allowed for interment of certain unclaimed veteran remains and that the change in HB4188 was intended to address similar practical issues. The committee made no amendments and recorded unanimous 'Aye' votes to advance the bill.