10A NCAC 39B .0102       TRANSFER AND STORAGE OF UNCLAIMED BODIES

(a)  The person, institution, or agency having charge or control of an unclaimed body shall notify a member of the Commission.  If the Commission member agrees to accept the body, the notifying person, institution, or agency, with the concurrence of the Commission member, shall request a funeral home or other suitable carrier to transfer the body to a medical school.  If a commission member cannot be reached, the person, institution, or agency shall contact the nearest medical school to arrange for refrigerated storage of the body until a commission member can be reached.

(b)  The Commission may decline to accept an unclaimed body that is for any reason unsuitable for anatomical study.

(c)  If the body is determined by a commission member to be unacceptable for anatomical study, the person, institution, or agency having charge or control of the body shall make arrangements for the final disposition of the body.

(d)  The body remains in the legal custody of the person, institution, or agency having charge or control of the body until after the expiration of the time required by G.S. 130A‑415 following death.

(e)  During the 10 days allowed for determination that a body is unclaimed, the body shall be stored in the nearest refrigerated facility that can provide such storage.  The person, institution, or agency having charge or control of the body shall, with the assistance of a member of the Commission, make arrangements for transfer and storage of the body.

(f)  During the period of storage, the person, institution, or agency having legal custody of the body retains responsibility for making reasonable efforts to notify any interested person of the deceased's death.

(g)  If the body is claimed, the storage facility shall be directed in writing by the person, institution, or agency having charge or control of the body to release it, with the claimant or his or her representative being identified.

(h)  If the stored body is not claimed for burial, the medical school receiving it as allocated by the Commission shall pay all reasonable fees for transfer for storage.  If the stored body is claimed, the claimant shall pay such fees.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 130A‑416;

Eff. November 1, 1977;

Amended Eff. July 1, 1985;

Transferred and Recodified from 10 NCAC 08I .0005 Eff. April 4, 1990;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. December 6, 2016.