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Ex. AGY-ST-HEALTH-SUBORDERS-095 Order Primary source read

Emergency Order Under MCL 333.2253 - Handling of Bodily Remains

Modifies disposition-of-remains rules to relieve hospitals and funeral homes: 24-hour and 48-hour limits on locating and acting by persons with authority over disposition; embalming without authorization in stated cases; suspension of MCL 333.2653(2) cremation waiting rules; temporary storage of remains at alternate facilities under a mortuary science licensee's supervision; medical examiners to authorize cremation as quickly as possible

Robert Gordon, Director, MDHHS · Michigan - Department of Health and Human Services (State health department) (State)

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The COVID Project

The record

Jurisdiction
Michigan - Department of Health and Human Services (State health department) · Michigan
Level
State
Authority
MCL 333.2253 (recited)
Issued
2020-05-04 May 4, 2020
Effective
immediately; 'remains in effect until lifted' (read as 2020-05-04)
End
lifted (2021) (read as 2021-06-30)
In force
May 4, 2020 to June 30, 2021
Quarters
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q2
Limitation types
Workplace rulesOther
Addressees
  • health facilities
  • funeral directors and mortuary science licensees
  • county medical examiners
  • persons with authority over final disposition
Functions reached
  • FH funeral homes (arrangement timelines, embalming, storage, cremation)
  • CB families (48-hour decision deadline)
  • OF administration
  • IP hospital morgue operations
Collection
State health department orders to licensed settings AGY-ST-HEALTH-SUBORDERS

Operative words

[The] increase in deaths has placed a significant burden on some hospitals and funeral homes. To alleviate this burden, ensure the safe and proper handling of bodily remains, and ensure the deceased are treated with [dignity, it is necessary to modify certain rules] pertaining to the disposition of bodies, and to relax certain licensing provisions for funeral directors.... a. A health facility's or funeral director's attempts to locate a person with authority to control the final disposition of a dead human body under this section must be completed within 24 hours of [death]... [the person with authority under MCL] 700.3206(1) must exercise such authority and complete arrangements within 48 hours of death.... 3. Compliance with MCL 333.2653(2) is temporarily suspended such that an official of a public [agency need not]... [a person who died under] suspicious circumstances or otherwise died as the result of criminal activity must not be cremated... [a licensee under MCL] 339.1801 et seq., may shelter and store the remains of a dead human body at a temporary storage [facility]... 5. Medical examiners are directed to authorize cremation orders as quickly as possible... This order is effective immediately and remains in effect until lifted. Date: May 4, 2020

Enforcement

MCL 333.2261 (misdemeanor)

Notes

The Michigan funeral-home order named in the cluster assignment.

Retrieval note

The MI State file mentions 'bodily remains' once but did not save this order.

A record of The COVID Project. The instrument's text is the source's; the summary fields are The COVID Project's reading of it. Not legal advice.