35-4-601. Delivery of unclaimed bodies for anatomical study.
Any member of the following boards or officers to-wit: The board of health of any city, town or county in the state; the mayor or common council of any city, and the officers or board having direction or control of any almshouse, prison hospital, house of correction or jail, in the state, shall, when so requested, surrender the dead bodies of such persons as may be required to be buried at the public expense, to any regularly licensed physician or dentist or medical college in the state or to a person certified by a state or local law enforcement agency to train search and rescue animals, in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed by the state department of health; such bodies to be used by said physician, dentist, medical college or person, for the advancement of anatomical science or the training of search and rescue animals; preference being given to the faculty of any legally organized state medical college or school of anatomy, for their use in the instruction of medical students; provided that in no case shall the faculties or other officers of such medical college or school of anatomy require or receive from any medical student or students, for such body so furnished therein, any sum of money in excess of the actual cost of procuring the same.