Section 4717.25. Body or parts donated to science

(A) A cremation authorization form authorizing the cremation of any body parts, including, without limitation, dead human bodies that were donated to science for purposes of medical education or research shall include at least all of the following information and statements, as applicable:

(1) The identity of the decedent whose body was donated to science for purposes of medical education or research or the identity of the living person or such a decedent from whom the body parts were removed;

(2) The name of the authorizing agent and the relationship of the authorizing agent to the decedent or the living person from whom the body parts were removed;

(3) A statement that the authorizing agent in fact has the right to authorize the cremation of the decedent or the body parts removed from the decedent or living person and a description of the basis of the person's right to execute the cremation authorization form;

(4) A statement of whether the crematory facility is authorized to simultaneously cremate the decedent or body parts removed from the decedent or living person with one or more other decedents whose bodies were donated to science for purposes of medical education or research or with body parts removed from one or more other decedents or living persons;

(5) The authorization for the crematory facility to cremate the decedent or body parts removed from the decedent or living person and to process or pulverize the cremated remains as is the practice at the particular crematory facility;

(6) A statement of whether it is the crematory facility's practice to return all of the residue removed from the cremation chamber following the cremation or to separate and remove foreign matter from the residue before returning the cremated remains to the authorizing agent or the authorizing agent's designee;

(7) The name of the person who is to receive the cremated remains from the crematory facility;

(8) The manner in which the final disposition of the cremated remains is to occur, if known. If the cremation authorization form does not specify the manner of the final disposition of the cremated remains, it shall indicate that the cremated remains will be held by the crematory facility for thirty days after the cremation, unless, prior to the end of that period, they are picked up from the crematory facility by the person designated on the authorization form to receive them or by the authorizing agent, or are delivered or shipped by the operator of the crematory facility to one of those persons. The authorization form shall indicate that if no instructions for the final disposition of the cremated remains are provided on the authorization form and that if no arrangements for final disposition have been made within the thirty-day period, the crematory facility may return the cremated remains to the authorizing agent. The authorization form shall further indicate that if no arrangements for the final disposition of the cremated remains have been made within sixty days after the cremation and if the authorizing agent or person designated on the authorization form to receive the cremated remains has not picked them up or caused them to be picked up within that period, the operator may dispose of them in accordance with division (C)(1) or (2) of section 4717.27 of the Revised Code.

(9) The certification of the authorizing agent to the effect that all of the information and statements contained in the authorization form are accurate.

(B) An authorizing agent who signs a cremation authorization form under this section is hereby deemed to warrant the accuracy of the information and statements contained in the authorization form, including the person's authority to authorize the cremation.

(C) At any time after executing a cremation authorization form and prior to the beginning of the cremation process, an authorizing agent who executed a cremation authorization form under this section may, in writing, revoke the authorization, cancel the cremation, and claim the decedent's body or the body parts for purposes of making alternative arrangements for the final disposition of the decedent's body or the body parts. The operator of a crematory facility shall cancel the cremation if the operator receives such a revocation before beginning the cremation.

(D) A cremation authorization form executed under this section does not constitute a contract for conducting the cremation of the decedent named in the authorization form or body parts removed from the decedent or living person named in the form or for the final disposition of the cremated remains of the decedent or body parts. The revocation of a cremation authorization form or modification of the arrangements for the final disposition of the cremated remains of the decedent or the body parts pursuant to division (C) of this section does not affect the validity or enforceability of any contract for the cremation of the decedent named in the authorization form, the cremation of body parts from the decedent or living person named in the authorization form, or the final disposition of the cremated remains of the decedent or body parts.

Effective Date: 08-05-1998