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.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to sign the bill into law.
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.