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SB1145 • 2026

Death

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 34, Chapter 6, Part 37; Title 38; Title 50; Title 56; Title 62, Chapter 5; Title 62, Chapter 6 and Title 68, relative to burial.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Crowe, Hill
Last action
2026-04-01
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date of July 1, 2025, mentioned in the official text does not match the current status of the bill being active and awaiting further action.

Burial Time Limit for Bodies

This bill sets a rule that bodies must be buried within two days if no autopsy or embalming is requested by the person or agency in charge of burial, unless there are special reasons to do an autopsy.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets a time limit for burying bodies when no autopsy or embalming is needed.
  • Requires that bodies be buried within two days if no autopsy or embalming is requested.
  • Exempts cases where the law allows for an autopsy due to special circumstances.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People in charge of burying a body
  • Government agencies handling burials

Terms To Know

Autopsy
A medical examination of a dead body to find out the cause of death.
Embalming
The process of preserving a body after death, often for burial or viewing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not apply if an autopsy is required by law.
  • Effective date is July 1, 2025, but the bill has not yet been passed into law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  2. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/1/2026

  3. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Health Subcommittee of Health Committee

  4. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  5. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  6. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  7. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  8. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026

  9. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  10. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  11. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  12. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  13. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  14. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  15. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  16. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  17. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  18. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  19. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill generally provides that if
the person or government agency assuming custody of a body for the purposes of burial does not request an autopsy, or that the body be embalmed, then the person or government agency must ensure that the body is buried within 48 hours from the time when th
e person or government agency waives the ability to request an autopsy or embalming of the body.
However, this provision
does not apply when an autopsy may be requested in accordance with the Post-Mortem Examination Ac
t, or another law that allows this state or a political subdivision of this state to request an autopsy due to the circumstances surrounding the death of the decedent
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1286
By Hill

SENATE BILL 1145
By Crowe

SB1145
002915
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 34,
Chapter 6, Part 37; Title 38; Title 50; Title 56; Title
62, Chapter 5; Title 62, Chapter 6 and Title 68,
relative to burial.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 4, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
(a) If the person or government agency assuming custody of a body for the
purposes of burial does not request an autopsy pursuant to § 68-4-111, or that the body
be embalmed, then the person or government agency must ensure that the body is
buried within forty-eight (48) hours from the time when the person or government agency
waives the ability to request an autopsy or embalming of the body.
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply when an autopsy may be requested in
accordance with the Post-Mortem Examination Act, compiled in title 38, chapter 7, or
another law that allows this state or a political subdivision of this state to request an
autopsy due to the circumstances surrounding the death of the decedent.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.