By Associated Press - Wednesday, March 20, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Legislation that’s expected to become state law would give Indiana’s coroners the option of using surgically inserted medical devices to identify bodies.

Senate members voted 48-0 Tuesday to advance the measure, which had cleared the House 97-1 in January.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to sign the bill into law.

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The legislation was supported by the Indiana Coroners Association. It would allow county coroners to positively identify a corpse by matching the unique serial number of a surgically inserted medical device, such as a pacemaker or breast implant, with the manufacturer’s record of who received the device.

Under current Indiana law, the identification of a body is only valid if confirmed by fingerprints, DNA, dental records or recognition by an immediate relative.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com

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