2018 Tennessee Code
Title 62 - Professions, Businesses and Trades
Chapter 5 - Funeral Directors and Embalmers
Part 5 - Cremation
§ 62-5-508. Final disposition of remains -- Unclaimed cremated remains.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), no person shall:
(1) Dispose of the cremated remains of a dead human body or body parts in such a manner or in such a location that the cremated remains are commingled with those of another decedent or body parts removed from another decedent or living person; or
(2) Place the cremated remains of more than one (1) decedent or of body parts removed from more than one (1) decedent or living person in the same urn or temporary container.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a person may:
(1) Scatter cremated remains at sea, by air or in a dedicated area at a cemetery used exclusively for the scattering on the ground of the cremated remains of dead human bodies or body parts;
(2) Commingle cremated remains of more than one (1) decedent or of body parts removed from more than one (1) decedent or living person or the placement in the same urn or temporary container of the cremated remains of more than one (1) decedent or of body parts removed from more than one (1) decedent or living person if operating under specific instructions from the decedent or decedents or an heir or personal representative designated by the decedent or decedents to make such a decision; and
(3) If the person is operating under the decedent's instructions, commingle the cremated remains or body parts removed from another decedent or living person, after receipt of the cremated remains or the body parts, with those of another decedent or body parts removed from another decedent or living person.
(c) Unless otherwise specified by any written agreement between the operator of the crematory facility or funeral establishment and the person or entity requesting the cremation of human remains, any cremated human remains unclaimed one hundred eighty (180) calendar days from the date of cremation, may be interred, entombed, or inurned by the operator of the crematory facility, and a record of the disposition of such unclaimed cremated human remains shall be made available by the operator of the crematory facility or funeral establishment for inspection on weekdays between the hours of eight o'clock a.m. (8:00 a.m.) and four-thirty p.m. (4:30 p.m.).
