{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/32.1-301.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/32.1-301.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/32.1-301.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/32.1-301.html"}],"law_id":68947,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68947,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-301","catch_line":"Burial, cremation, or return of bodies after scientific study","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 32-359; 1979, c. 711; 2000, c. 477; 2014, c. 583.","full_text":"After the bodies distributed pursuant to \u00a7 32.1-299 have been used for the purpose of instruction, they shall be decently interred or cremated by the institution or individual receiving them. However, if the decedent has stipulated in writing before his death that the cremated remains of his body, lawfully donated for scientific study, shall be returned to relatives for disposition after scientific study has been completed, or if the decedent’s next of kin, who lawfully donated the body for scientific study, requests in writing at the time of donation that the decedent’s cremated remains be returned to relatives after scientific study has been completed, the institution or individual that received the body shall return the decedent’s cremated remains to his next of kin or relatives. Any such writing shall acknowledge the responsibility to maintain the current name, address, and telephone number of the relatives to whom the decedent’s cremated remains are to be returned.\n\t\tThe written request of the decedent’s next of kin shall include the name of the next of kin, the current address to which the cremated remains shall be delivered, and the current telephone number of the next of kin or relatives where they may be contacted. The costs of transporting and delivering the cremated remains shall be borne by the institution or individual receiving the body. The institution or individual that received the decedent’s body and who has received such a written request shall not be obligated to return the decedent’s cremated remains if the name, address, and telephone number of the next of kin or relatives have not been provided in such written request or are no longer current.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":249604,"text":"After the bodies distributed pursuant to \u00a7 32.1-299 have been used for the purpose of instruction, they shall be decently interred or cremated by the institution or individual receiving them. However, if the decedent has stipulated in writing before his death that the cremated remains of his body, lawfully donated for scientific study, shall be returned to relatives for disposition after scientific study has been completed, or if the decedent’s next of kin, who lawfully donated the body for scientific study, requests in writing at the time of donation that the decedent’s cremated remains be returned to relatives after scientific study has been completed, the institution or individual that received the body shall return the decedent’s cremated remains to his next of kin or relatives. Any such writing shall acknowledge the responsibility to maintain the current name, address, and telephone number of the relatives to whom the decedent’s cremated remains are to be returned.\n\t\tThe written request of the decedent’s next of kin shall include the name of the next of kin, the current address to which the cremated remains shall be delivered, and the current telephone number of the next of kin or relatives where they may be contacted. The costs of transporting and delivering the cremated remains shall be borne by the institution or individual receiving the body. The institution or individual that received the decedent’s body and who has received such a written request shall not be obligated to return the decedent’s cremated remains if the name, address, and telephone number of the next of kin or relatives have not been provided in such written request or are no longer current.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15643,"edition_id":1,"name":"Use of Dead Human Bodies for Scientific Study","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13612,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:57:18","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:57:18","permalink":{"id":204641,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15643,"identifier":"3","token":"32.1\/8\/3","url":"\/32.1\/8\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13612,"edition_id":1,"name":"Postmortem Examinations and Services","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12727,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:23","permalink":{"id":204383,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13612,"identifier":"8","token":"32.1\/8","url":"\/32.1\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12727,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health","identifier":"32.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":201099,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12727,"identifier":"32.1","token":"32.1","url":"\/32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":80997,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-298","catch_line":"Notification of Commissioner and delivery of bodies","url":"\/32.1-298\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-298","metadata":false},{"id":67206,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-299","catch_line":"Distribution of bodies","url":"\/32.1-299\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-299","metadata":false},{"id":79826,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-300","catch_line":"Records of bodies distributed","url":"\/32.1-300\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-300","metadata":false},{"id":68947,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-301","catch_line":"Burial, cremation, or return of bodies after scientific study","url":"\/32.1-301\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-301","metadata":false},{"id":83337,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-302","catch_line":"Importation of anatomical material","url":"\/32.1-302\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-302","metadata":false},{"id":59786,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-303","catch_line":"Penalty for trafficking in bodies","url":"\/32.1-303\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-303","metadata":false},{"id":82278,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-304","catch_line":"General penalty for violation","url":"\/32.1-304\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-304","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":79826,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-300","catch_line":"Records of bodies distributed","url":"\/32.1-300\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-300","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":83337,"structure_id":15643,"section_number":"32.1-302","catch_line":"Importation of anatomical material","url":"\/32.1-302\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-302","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/32.1-301\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1979, chapter 711; in 2000, chapter 477<\/a>; in 2014, chapter 583<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":73758,"section_number":"54.1-2807","catch_line":"Other prohibited activities","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2807\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":67206,"section_number":"32.1-299","catch_line":"Distribution of bodies","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-299\/"}],"permalink":{"id":204655,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68947,"identifier":"32.1-301","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-301","url":"\/32.1-301\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/32.1-301\/","token":"32.1\/8\/3\/32.1-301","dublin_core":{"Title":"Burial, cremation, or return of bodies after scientific study","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 32.1-301","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

After the bodies distributed pursuant to \u00a7 32.1-299<\/a> have been used for the purpose of instruction, they shall be decently interred or cremated by the institution or individual receiving them. However, if the decedent has stipulated in writing before his death that the cremated remains of his body, lawfully donated for scientific study, shall be returned to relatives for disposition<\/span> after scientific study has been completed, or if the decedent’s next of kin, who lawfully donated the body for scientific study, requests in writing at the time of donation that the decedent’s cremated remains be returned to relatives after scientific study has been completed, the institution or individual that received the body shall return the decedent’s cremated remains to his next of kin or relatives. Any such writing shall acknowledge the responsibility to maintain the current name, address, and telephone number of the relatives to whom the decedent’s cremated remains are to be returned.\n\t\tThe written request of the decedent’s next of kin shall include the name of the next of kin, the current address to which the cremated remains shall be delivered, and the current telephone number of the next of kin or relatives where they may be contacted. The costs of transporting and delivering the cremated remains shall be borne by the institution or individual receiving the body. The institution or individual that received the decedent’s body and who has received such a written request shall not be obligated to return the decedent’s cremated remains if the name, address, and telephone number of the next of kin or relatives have not been provided in such written request or are no longer current.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nBURIAL, CREMATION, OR RETURN OF BODIES AFTER SCIENTIFIC STUDY (\u00a7 32.1-301)\n\nAfter the bodies distributed pursuant to \u00a7 32.1-299 have been used for the\npurpose of instruction, they shall be decently interred or cremated by the\ninstitution or individual receiving them. However, if the decedent has\nstipulated in writing before his death that the cremated remains of his body,\nlawfully donated for scientific study, shall be returned to relatives for\ndisposition after scientific study has been completed, or if the\ndecedent’s next of kin, who lawfully donated the body for scientific\nstudy, requests in writing at the time of donation that the decedent’s\ncremated remains be returned to relatives after scientific study has been\ncompleted, the institution or individual that received the body shall return the\ndecedent’s cremated remains to his next of kin or relatives. Any such\nwriting shall acknowledge the responsibility to maintain the current name,\naddress, and telephone number of the relatives to whom the decedent’s\ncremated remains are to be returned.\n\t\tThe written request of the decedent’s next of kin shall include the name\nof the next of kin, the current address to which the cremated remains shall be\ndelivered, and the current telephone number of the next of kin or relatives\nwhere they may be contacted. The costs of transporting and delivering the\ncremated remains shall be borne by the institution or individual receiving the\nbody. The institution or individual that received the decedent’s body and\nwho has received such a written request shall not be obligated to return the\ndecedent’s cremated remains if the name, address, and telephone number of\nthe next of kin or relatives have not been provided in such written request or\nare no longer current.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 32-359; 1979, c. 711; 2000, c. 477; 2014, c. 583.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}