SECONDREGULARSESSION
[PERFECTED]
HOUSEBILLNO.2163
101STGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEHOUX.
3661H.01P DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection194.119,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingtothe
rightofsepulcher.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section194.119,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection194.119,toreadasfollows:
194.119.1.Asusedinthissection,theterm"rightofsepulcher"meanstherightto
2chooseandcontroltheburial,cremation,orotherfinaldispositionofadeadhumanbody.
3 2.Forpurposesofthischapterandchapters193,333,and436,andinallcases
4relatingtothecustody,control,anddispositionofdeceasedhumanremains,includingthe
5commonlawrightofsepulcher,wherenototherwisedefined,theterm"next-of-kin"means
6thefollowingpersonsintheprioritylistedifsuchpersoniseighteenyearsofageorolder,is
7mentallycompetent,andiswillingtoassumeresponsibilityforthecostsofdisposition:
8 (1)Anattorneyinfactdesignatedinadurablepowerofattorneywhereinthe
9deceasedspecificallygrantedtherightofsepulcheroverhisorherbodytosuchattorneyin
10fact;
11 (2)ForadecedentwhowasonactivedutyintheUnitedStatesmilitaryatthetimeof
12death,thepersondesignatedbysuchdecedentinthewritteninstrumentknownastheUnited
13StatesDepartmentofDefenseForm93,RecordofEmergencyData,inaccordancewith[P.L.
14109-163,Section564,]10U.S.C.Section1482;
15 (3)Thesurvivingspouse, unlessanactionforthedissolutionofthemarriagehas
16beenfiledandispendinginacourtofcompetentjurisdiction;
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 (4)Anysurvivingchildofthedeceased.Ifasurvivingchildislessthaneighteen
18yearsofageandhasalegalornaturalguardian,suchchildshallnotbedisqualifiedonthe
19basisofthechild'sageandsuchchild'slegalornaturalguardian,ifany,shallbeentitledto
20serveintheplaceofthechildunlesssuchchild'slegalornaturalguardianwassubjecttoan
21actionindissolutionfromthedeceased.Insucheventthepersonorpersonswhomayserve
22asnext-of-kinshallserveintheorderprovidedinsubdivisions(5)to(9)ofthissubsection;
23 (5)(a)Anysurvivingparentofthedeceased;or
24 (b)Ifthedeceasedisaminor,asurvivingparentwhohascustodyoftheminor;or
25 (c)Ifthedeceasedisaminorandthedeceased'sparentshavejointcustody,theparent
26whoseresidenceistheminorchild'sresidenceforpurposesofmailingandeducation;
27 (6)Anysurvivingsiblingofthedeceased;
28 (7)Thenextnearestsurvivingrelativeofthedeceasedbyconsanguinityoraffinity;
29 (8)Anypersonorfriendwhoassumesfinancialresponsibilityforthedispositionof
30thedeceased'sremainsifnonext-of-kinassumessuchresponsibility;
31 (9)Thecountycoronerormedicalexaminer;providedhoweverthatsuchassumption
32ofresponsibilityshallnotmakethecoroner,medicalexaminer,thecounty,orthestate
33financiallyresponsibleforthecostofdisposition.
34 3.Thenext-of-kinofthedeceasedshallbeentitledtocontrolthefinaldispositionof
35theremainsofanydeadhumanbeingconsistentwithallapplicablelaws,includingall
36applicablehealthcodes.Thenext-of-kinmaydelegatethecontrolofthefinaldisposition
37oftheremainsofanydeadhumanbeingtoanagentthrougheitheraspecificorgeneral
38grantofpowerinaccordancewithsection404.710if,atthetimeofdelegation,thenext-
39of-kinwaseighteenyearsofageorolderandmentallycompetentandtheprincipalor
40agentistakingfinancialresponsibilityforthedisposition.
41 4.Afuneraldirectororestablishmentisentitledtorelyonandactaccordingtothe
42lawfulinstructionsofanypersonclaimingtobethenext-of-kinofthedeceased;provided
43however,inanycivilcauseofactionagainstafuneraldirectororestablishmentlicensed
44pursuanttothischapterforactionstakenregardingthefuneralarrangementsforadeceased
45personinthedirector'sorestablishment'scare,therelativefault,ifany,ofsuchfuneral
46directororestablishmentmaybereducedifsuchactionsaretakeninrelianceuponaperson's
47claimtobethedeceasedperson'snext-of-kin.
48 5.Anypersonwhodesirestoexercisetherightofsepulcherandwhohasknowledge
49ofanindividualorindividualswithasuperiorrighttocontroldispositionshallnotifysuch
50individualorindividualspriortomakingfinalarrangements.
51 6.Ifanindividualwithasuperiorclaimis[personallyservedwithwrittennotice
52from] notifiedinpersonorbywrittennoticewithdeliveryconfirmationtosuchperson's
53lastknownaddressbyapersonwithaninferiorclaimthatsuchpersondesirestoexercise
HB2163 2 54therightofsepulcherandtheindividualsoserveddoesnotobjectwithinforty-eighthoursof
55[receipt] suchnotice, suchindividualshallbedeemedtohavewaivedsuchright.An
56individualwithasuperiorrightmayalsowaivesuchrightatanytimeifsuchwaiverisin
57writinganddated.
58 7.Ifthereismorethanonepersoninaclasswhoareequalinpriorityandthefuneral
59directorhasnoknowledgeofanyobjectionbyothermembersofsuchclass,thefuneral
60directororestablishmentshallbeentitledtorelyonandactaccordingtotheinstructionsof
61thefirstsuchpersonintheclasstomakearrangements;providedthatsuchpersonassumes
62responsibilityforthecostsofdispositionandnootherpersoninsuchclassprovideswritten
63noticeofhisorherobjection.Ifthefuneraldirectorhasknowledgethatthereismorethan
64onepersoninaclasswhoareequalinpriorityandwhodonotagreeonthedisposition,the
65decisionofthemajorityofthemembersofsuchclassshallcontrolthedisposition.
66 8.Forpurposesofconductingamajorityvoteundersubsection7ofthissection,the
67funeraldirectorshallallowvotingbyproxyusingawrittenauthorizationorinstrument.
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