S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7636

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 8, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  ALESI  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

AN ACT to amend the public health law, in  relation  to  the  commercial
  display of human remains

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature  finds  and  declares
that:
  1.  Article  43 of the public health law requires any donor and speci-
fied authorized individuals to authorize the use of anatomical gifts for
transplantation, therapy, research, and education purposes.
  2. Every city, county, or state official responsible for  the  remains
of  unclaimed dead bodies is required to use due diligence to notify the
relatives of the decedent.
  3. The public display of human remains must be  regulated  to  protect
individual  bodily  integrity, as well as the social and cultural values
of the state.
  4. It is the intent of the legislature to require persons who  partic-
ipate  in the public display of human remains for commercial purposes to
provide evidence of informed consent from the decedent or  relatives  of
all  humans  whose  remains  are  put on display, and to provide for the
continued use of human remains in the educational, medical,  and  scien-
tific communities to promote human health and safety.
  S  2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 43-D to
read as follows:
                              ARTICLE 43-D
                    COMMERCIAL DISPLAY OF HUMAN REMAINS
SECTION 4380. DEFINITIONS.
        4381. COMMERCIAL DISPLAY OF HUMAN REMAINS.
        4382. PERMIT.
        4383. APPLICATION.
  S 4380. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN  THIS  ARTICLE,  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS
SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
  1. "COMMERCIAL PURPOSES" MEANS EITHER:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD02174-06-2

S. 7636                             2

  (A) A DISPLAY FOR WHICH THE PUBLIC IS CHARGED A FEE OR OTHER CONSIDER-
ATION AS A CONDITION OF VIEWING; OR
  (B)  A DISPLAY FOR WHICH AN EXHIBITOR ACCEPTS PAYMENT OR OTHER CONSID-
ERATION.
  2.  "EXHIBITOR" MEANS A PERSON OR ENTITY WHO  SHOWS  OR  PUTS  ON,  OR
CONTRACTS  TO  SHOW  OR  PUT  ON,  A  TEMPORARY  PUBLIC DISPLAY OF HUMAN
REMAINS.
  3. "MUSEUM FACILITY" MEANS A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE  NONPROFIT  INSTITUTION
THAT  IS  ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS OR IS A PART
OF AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY,  AND  THAT  IS  ORGANIZED  ON  A
PERMANENT  BASIS  FOR  ESSENTIALLY EDUCATIONAL OR AESTHETIC PURPOSES AND
THAT OWNS OR USES TANGIBLE OBJECTS, CARES FOR THOSE OBJECTS, AND  EXHIB-
ITS THEM TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON A REGULAR BASIS.
  S  4381. COMMERCIAL DISPLAY OF HUMAN REMAINS. 1. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN
SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS  SECTION,  A  PERSON  SHALL  NOT  DISPLAY  HUMAN
REMAINS  TO THE PUBLIC FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A
PERMIT ISSUED BY THE  DEPARTMENT  AS  REQUIRED  BY  SECTION  FORTY-THREE
HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE.
  2.  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO A DISPLAY OF
HUMAN REMAINS THAT IS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
  (A) MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD;
  (B) CONSISTING SOLELY OF HUMAN TEETH OR HAIR;
  (C) PART OF THE ORDINARY DISPLAY OR  VIEWING  OF  THE  DECEASED  AT  A
FUNERAL ESTABLISHMENT OR PART OF A SIMILAR FUNERAL OR MEMORIAL SERVICE;
  (D) AN OBJECT OF RELIGIOUS VENERATION;
  (E)  CONSISTING SOLELY OF BODIES TRANSPORTED INTO AND REMAINING IN THE
STATE FOR DISPLAY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION; OR
  (F) IN THE POSSESSION OF A MUSEUM FACILITY.
  HOWEVER, IF THE MUSEUM FACILITY PAID OR OFFERED OTHER CONSIDERATION TO
AN EXHIBITOR TO DISPLAY THE REMAINS, AND THE REMAINS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM
THIS SECTION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS (A) THROUGH (D) OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
THE EXHIBITOR SHALL BE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A PERMIT PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
FORTY-THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE.
  3.  ANY  PERSON  WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A CIVIL
PENALTY OF AN AMOUNT THAT DOES NOT EXCEED FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH
VIOLATION.
  S 4382. PERMIT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A PERMIT PROGRAM  UNDER
THIS  ARTICLE.  A  PERMIT  MAY  BE  ISSUED TO ANY PERSON FOR THE PURPOSE
DESCRIBED IN SECTION FORTY-THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE OF THIS ARTICLE ONLY
UPON A DETERMINATION BY THE DEPARTMENT  THAT  THE  PERSON  HAS  PROVIDED
VALID  WRITTEN  AUTHORIZATION TO DISPLAY HUMAN REMAINS FOR CONSIDERATION
FROM ANY OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS:
  1. THE DECEDENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AUTHORIZATION GIVEN BY
WILL;
  2. ANY PERSON AUTHORIZED TO MAKE  AN  ANATOMICAL  GIFT  UNDER  ARTICLE
FORTY-THREE OF THIS CHAPTER.
  S  4383.  APPLICATION.  NOTHING  IN THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO
APPLY TO THE UTILIZATION OF HUMAN REMAINS IN A  MANNER  THAT  MEETS  THE
PURPOSES  SET  FORTH  IN ARTICLE FORTY-THREE OF THIS CHAPTER RELATING TO
ANATOMICAL GIFTS.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
have become a law. Effective immediately the commissioner of the depart-
ment  of  health is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regu-
lations and take any other measures necessary to implement this  act  on
its effective date, on or before such date.