Washington § 36.24.155 - Undisposed of remains — Entrusting to funeral homes or mortuaries — Indigenous persons remains.

Full text of Washington Revised Code of Washington § 36.24.155 — Undisposed of remains — Entrusting to funeral homes or mortuaries — Indigenous persons remains., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 36.24.155. Undisposed of remains — Entrusting to funeral homes or mortuaries — Indigenous persons remains.

(1) Whenever anyone shall die within a county without making prior plans for the disposition of his or her body and there is no other person willing to provide for the disposition of the body, the county coroner shall cause such body to be entrusted to a funeral home in the county where the body is found. Except in counties where the county coroner or medical examiner has established a preferred funeral home using a qualified bidding process, disposition shall be on a rotation basis, which shall treat equally all funeral homes or mortuaries desiring to participate, such rotation to be established by the coroner after consultation with representatives of the funeral homes or mortuaries in the county or counties involved.
(2)(a) The county coroner, upon knowledge that a body is of an indigenous person, shall make reasonable efforts to identify and contact family members prior to entrusting the body to a funeral home, including an attempt to facilitate contact through the regional liaison for missing and murdered indigenous persons pursuant to RCW 43.43.874 within 10 days of the county coroner having jurisdiction over the remains.
(b) Upon the written request of a family member responsible for the disposition of the body of an indigenous person, the county coroner shall provide a written estimate of the time frame for entrusting the body to the family member or the family member's chosen funeral home, unless doing so would jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation.
[ 2022 c 251 s 2; 2011 c 16 s 1; 2009 c 549 s 4038; 1969 ex.s. c 259 s 2.]

Notes

Human remains that have not been disposed: RCW 68.50.230.

Source: official Washington text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Frequently Asked Questions About Washington § 36.24.155

What does Revised Code of Washington § 36.24.155 cover?

Section 36.24.155 ("Undisposed of remains — Entrusting to funeral homes or mortuaries — Indigenous persons remains.") is part of the Revised Code of Washington, the codified statutory law of Washington. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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A common citation format is "Revised Code of Washington § 36.24.155" (Washington). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.

Is this the official text of Washington law?

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