TITLE 23

Health and Safety

CHAPTER 23-3

Vital Records

SECTION 23-3-18



   § 23-3-18  Permits. –

(a) The funeral director, his or her duly authorized agent, or another person

acting as a duly authorized agent, who first assumes custody of a dead body or

fetus shall prepare a burial-transit permit prior to final disposition or

removal from the state of the body or fetus and within seven (7) calendar days

after death.



   (b) The burial-transit permit shall be signed by the funeral

director and by the certifying physician as designated in § 23-3-16(c).



   (c) A burial-transit permit issued under the law of another

state which accompanies a dead body or fetus brought into this state shall be

authority for final disposition of the body or fetus in this state.



   (d) A permit for disinterment and re-interment shall be

required prior to disinterment of a dead body or fetus except as authorized by

regulation or otherwise provided by law. The permit shall be issued by the

local registrar of vital records at the place of disinterment to a licensed

funeral director, embalmer, his or her duly authorized agent, or another person

acting as a duly authorized agent, upon proper application.



   (e)(1) The body of a deceased person shall not be cremated

within twenty-four (24) hours after his or her death unless he or she dies of a

contagious or infectious disease. The body shall not be received or cremated by

any corporation authorized to cremate the bodies of the dead until its officers

have received the burial permit required by law before burial, and a cremation

certificate issued by the Rhode Island office of state medical examiners. A

cremation certificate shall be issued only if the office of state medical

examiners determines that the cause and manner of death is such that no further

examination or judicial inquiry concerning the cause and manner of death is

necessary.



   (2) The cremation certificate issued to the funeral director

by the medical examiner, in duplicate, shall accompany the body to the

crematory. The crematory shall retain the duplicate copy and mail the original

copy to the state division of vital records.



History of Section.

(G.L. 1896, ch. 100, § 9; P.L. 1897, ch. 452, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch.

121, § 9; P.L. 1910, ch. 575, § 4; P.L. 1911, ch. 713, § 1; P.L.

1914, ch. 1092, § 1; P.L. 1921, ch. 2096, § 4; G.L. 1923, ch. 166,

§ 8; P.L. 1931, ch. 1698, § 1; P.L. 1932, ch. 1947, § 1; G.L.

1938, ch. 268, § 7; impl. am. P.L. 1939, ch. 660, §§ 180, 182;

P.L. 1941, ch. 980, § 1; P.L. 1955, ch. 3442, § 1; impl. am. P.L.

1955, ch. 3453, § 1; G.L. 1956, §§ 23-3-18 to 23-3-22; G.L.

1956, § 23-3-18; P.L. 1961, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1962, ch. 13, § 1;

P.L. 1977, ch. 110, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 242, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 361,

§ 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 272, § 1.)