---
type: "Bill"
title: "Coroners, disposition of unidentified or unclaimed remains"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-590, RELATING TO DISPOSITION OF REMAINS OF UNIDENTIFIABLE DEAD BODIES BY CORONERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR WHEN A BODY IS UNIDENTIFIABLE AND WHEN A BODY IS UNCLAIMED, AND TO AUTHORIZE CORONERS TO CREMATE SUCH REMAINS THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DISCOVERY. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "H 4188"
citation: "South Carolina H 4188 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "B.L. Cox", "Brewer", "C. Mitchell", "Davis", "Ford", "M.M. Smith", "Pope", "Robbins", "Yow"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 23
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-03-20"
last_action: "2026-05-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/426d42b1-7ac1-4d10-8dc6-8c2f9255311f"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4188&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "4b2cfe2f9fae94dc3ae4bb4c63e35fde4258ab7710e7b3f04d3863c7c1f240de"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 4188 (2025-2026) — Coroners, disposition of unidentified or unclaimed remains

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-590, RELATING TO DISPOSITION OF REMAINS OF UNIDENTIFIABLE DEAD BODIES BY CORONERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR WHEN A BODY IS UNIDENTIFIABLE AND WHEN A BODY IS UNCLAIMED, AND TO AUTHORIZE CORONERS TO CREMATE SUCH REMAINS THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DISCOVERY. - RATIFIED TITLE

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4188.htm)
2. **02/05/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4188_20260205.htm)
3. **03/20/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4188_20250320.htm)
4. **04/29/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4188_20260429.htm)
5. **05/05/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4188_20260505.htm)

## Votes

- Concur in Senate Amendments — **114–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **106–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- B.L. Cox — primary (person)
- Brewer — primary (person)
- C. Mitchell — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Ford — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Robbins — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-03-20** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-03-20** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-28** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith, B.L.Cox, Brewer, Ford, Davis, Robbins
- **2026-02-05** Committee report: Favorable Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-10** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Yow, C.Mitchell
- **2026-02-10** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-10** Roll call Yeas-106 Nays-0
- **2026-02-11** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-11** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-02-11** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-29** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-05-05** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2026-05-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-05-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-05** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2026-05-06** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-12** Debate adjourned
- **2026-05-13** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2026-05-13** Roll call Yeas-114 Nays-0
- **2026-05-14** Ratified R 191
- **2026-05-15** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-26** Effective date 05/15/26
- **2026-05-26** Act No. 145

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/426d42b1-7ac1-4d10-8dc6-8c2f9255311f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).