Vermont § 5224 - Disposition of remains; permits

§ 5224. Disposition of remains; permits

• (a) Fetal remains shall be disposed of by burial, cremation, or natural organic reduction
  unless released to an educational institution for scientific purposes or disposed
  of by the hospital or as directed by the attending physician in a manner that will
  not create a public health hazard. Permission shall be obtained from one of the parents,
  if competent, for disposition in all cases where a funeral director is not involved.
  One copy of the fetal death report shall be printed in such manner that completion
  and signing by the physician or medical examiner shall constitute permission to make
  permanent disposition of the fetal remains. (b) When a funeral director is involved or when the fetal remains are to be privately
  buried or disposed of by a disposition facility, the funeral director or other person
  taking charge of the remains shall obtain from the hospital or physician the disposition
  permit portion of the report and shall deliver it to the sexton or other person having
  care of the cemetery, tomb, vault, or disposition facility before burial or other
  disposition takes place. These permits shall be delivered each month to the clerk
  of the town in which burial or disposition took place, in the same manner as permits
  for burial of dead bodies; so also shall all other provisions of sections 5209-5216 of this title be applicable to fetal remains as are applicable to dead bodies. (c) When disposition of fetal remains is by means other than those specified in subsection
  (b) of this section and a funeral director is not involved, the disposition permit
  copy of the report shall be completed by the appropriate official of the hospital
  or by the physician or other person in charge of disposition and sent to the Commissioner
  within 10 days after such disposition. These permits may be destroyed after five years. (Added 1973, No. 99, § 1; amended 2021, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. January 1, 2023; 2023, No. 6, § 163, eff. July 1, 2023.)