The House of Representatives voted Tuesday in support of State Rep. Alan Morrison’s (R-Brazil) proposal giving coroners one more way to quickly and accurately identify human remains. 

Morrison is working on a new law that would allow coroners to track a unique serial number on a surgically implanted medical device in a person’s body in order to make an official identification.

“Currently, coroners have only four ways they can identify a body including fingerprints, visual identification, dental records and DNA,” Morrison said. “With each medical implant including a unique identifier, officials will be able to make an accurate identification.”

Morrison said when identification cannot be made by more conventional methods coroners often turn to using DNA, which can take several weeks to complete. 

The Indiana Coroners Association supports this legislation.

House Bill 1084 can now move to the Senate for further consideration.