Tarrant County in Texas has revamped its policies regarding unclaimed bodies after an NBC News investigation revealed that bodies were being used for research without families’ consent. In the past, bodies were given to the University of North Texas Health Science Center for research, but now the county will take responsibility of cremating or burying unclaimed bodies after making significant efforts to contact relatives. The new policy requires various facilities to try to locate and notify deceased people’s relatives and document their efforts before bodies can be considered unclaimed. The policy also gives preference to cremation, but allows for burial in certain circumstances, such as if the deceased are unidentified, are military veterans, or if families object to cremation. The policy was developed with input from a bioethicist who had been urging officials to stop providing unclaimed bodies for research without consent. The changes reflect an evolution in medical ethics that emphasizes treating human specimens with dignity. Families of those whose bodies were used in research without consent have voiced their relief that the new policy will prevent similar situations in the future. The revamped rules aim to ensure that the deceased are treated ethically and respectfully while also respecting families’ wishes.
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Texas county implements measures to ensure unclaimed bodies receive respectful treatment
