Legislation that’s expected to become state law would give Indiana’s coroners the option of using surgically inserted medical devices to identify bodies.
Senate members voted 48-0 Tuesday to advance the measure, which had cleared the House 97-1 in January.
The Northwest Indiana Times reports that Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to sign the bill into law.
The legislation was supported by the Indiana Coroners Association. It would allow county coroners to positively identify a corpse by matching the unique serial number of a surgically inserted medical device, such as a pacemaker or breast implant, with the manufacturer’s record of who received the device.
Under current Indiana law, the identification of a body is only valid if confirmed by fingerprints, DNA, dental records or recognition by an immediate relative.
