Bill > A05218

This bill modifies New York's penal law regarding the concealment and/or mutilation of a human corpse, expanding the scope of the existing criminal offense. Specifically, the bill removes previous language that required the corpse concealment to be done with intent to prevent its use as evidence in an official proceeding, investigation, or examination. Instead, the bill now broadly criminalizes the act of concealing, altering, mutilating, or destroying a human corpse or body part. The bill includes important exemptions for funeral directors, undertakers, embalmers, and individuals involved in organ donation under the public health law. The bill also updates several sections of criminal procedure law to include concealment and/or mutilation of a human corpse as a consideration in bail and release decisions, meaning that individuals charged with this offense may face more stringent bail conditions. The offense is classified as a class E felony, which is the lowest level of felony in New York's criminal justice system. The changes aim to provide law enforcement with broader tools to prosecute cases involving inappropriate handling of human remains, while still protecting legitimate professional practices involving human bodies.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5218