Is It Illegal to Buy or Sell Human Bones or Organs in Texas?
You can buy anything on the internet. This includes human remains.
There is a website called JonsBones where you can purchase human "osteology." According to JonsBones, the best sellers include vertebrae, rib bones, femur bones, and human teeth.
They'll sell you any bone you want. However, eBay did ban human bone sales back in 2016.
Is it legal to buy or sell human bones in Texas?
Yes, you can buy and sell human bones in Texas. In fact, there are only three states in the US where buying and selling human bones is illegal, Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana.
I suspect in Louisiana; they're afraid of people using human bones in voodoo rituals. They might be right to be scared.
Here in Texas, buying and selling human bones is perfectly legal as long as the sellers don't violate the terms of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. This law was passed to repatriate Native American skeletal remains and grave goods unearthed during Federal construction projects.
Other than the states mentioned previously and Native American bones, no laws or regulations regarding sourcing, pricing, or handling skeletal remains exist. However, under US law, getting permission to decapitate and de-flesh a relative's remains is nearly impossible.
Regarding human organs, that is another matter altogether in Texas.
The Prohibition of the Purchase and Sale of Human Organs crime in the state of Texas makes it illegal to buy, sell, or receive a human organ in exchange for payment.
Prohibition of the Purchase and Sale of Human Organs is classified in the Texas Penal Code under Title 10 “Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, And Morals,” Chapter 48 “Conduct Affecting Public Health.
After watching all those ghost-hunting and paranormal shows on cable television, I can't imagine wanting to bring someone's remains into my home. Do I believe in ghosts? I am not sure, but I don't want to tempt fate.
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