Bill > HB2044

This bill amends existing Arizona law regarding the abandonment or concealment of a dead body, changing the classification of the offense and adding exceptions. Previously, knowingly moving a dead human body or parts with the intent to abandon or conceal it was a Class 5 felony. This bill clarifies that this prohibition does not apply to the handling of dead human remains for purposes authorized by specific state laws related to professions like funeral directors and embalmers, or to the mother of an unborn child if the gestational age is less than twenty weeks. Crucially, the bill introduces a more severe penalty, classifying the offense as a Class 2 felony if the person mutilates, disfigures, or dismembers the body to conceal a crime or avoid apprehension, or if the person caused the death before abandoning or concealing the body.

Justice

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83602