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2010 SESSION
10104999DBe it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 54.1-2811.1 as follows:
§ 54.1-2811.1. Handling and storage of human remains.
A. Upon taking custody of a dead human body, a funeral service establishment shall maintain such body in a manner that provides complete coverage of the body and that is resistant to leakage or spillage.
B. If a dead human body is to be stored for more than 48 hours prior to disposition, a funeral services establishment having custody of such body shall ensure that the dead human body is maintained in refrigeration at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or embalmed. A dead human body shall not be embalmed and shall instead be maintained in refrigeration if the family or guardian of the deceased objects to embalming on the grounds that embalming conflicts with the deceased's, family's, or guardian's religious tenets or practices.
C. If a dead human body is to be stored for more than 10 days prior to disposition at a location other than the funeral service establishment, the funeral service establishment shall disclose to the contract buyer the location where the body is to be stored and the method of storage.
D. Funeral services establishments, crematories, or transportation services shall not transport animal remains together with dead human bodies. Further, animal remains shall not be refrigerated in a unit where dead human bodies are being stored.