Requires entities having possession of unclaimed bodies of deceased persons known to be of Jewish descent to contact certain organizations to inquire if such organizations are willing to assume responsibility for the burial or cremation of such persons.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9930
IN SENATE
April 16, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. SUTTON -- 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 the handling of
certain unclaimed bodies
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 4211-a to read as follows:
3 § 4211-a. Cadavers; unclaimed; delivery to religious organizations. 1.
4 Notwithstanding the provisions of section forty-two hundred eleven of
5 this title, and prior to the disposition of a body pursuant to such
6 section, if the body of a deceased person is not claimed as provided in
7 section forty-two hundred two of this article and such person is known
8 to have been of Jewish descent, the director or person in charge of any
9 hospital, institution, morgue or other place for bodies of deceased
10 persons not interred or otherwise finally disposed of, and every funeral
11 director, undertaker or other person having in their lawful possession,
12 any body of a deceased person for keeping or burial, shall contact:
13 (a) Misaskim, 5805 16th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204, (718) 854-4548; and/or
14 (b) Chesed Shel Emes, 1224 52nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11219, (855) 273-2121,
15 or any successor organizations, and inquire if the organization is will-
16 ing to pay for the burial expense of the deceased person, and, if the
17 organization is willing to do so, deliver the body of the deceased
18 person in their possession, charge, custody or control not placed there-
19 in by any person, agency or organization for keeping, burial or other
20 lawful disposition to the agreeing organization.
21 2. The provisions of this section shall not supersede any prior writ-
22 ten directives of the deceased person regarding anatomical gifts pursu-
23 ant to article forty-three of this chapter.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
25 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15576-01-6
