Relates to the commercial display of human remains; requires the department of health to implement a permit process for anyone displaying human remains for payment or other consideration; exempts remains more than 100 years old, consisting solely of human hair or teeth, part of the ordinary display at a funeral establishment or memorial, an object of religious veneration, consisting solely of bodies transported into and remaining in the state for display prior to the effective date of this section, in the possession of a museum facility or those remains represented by an entity that has displayed human remains in the state for at least three of the last ten years whether or not such display was in operation at the time of the effective date of this article.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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4683
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares
2 that:
3 1. Article 43 of the public health law requires any donor and speci-
4 fied authorized individuals to authorize the use of anatomical gifts for
5 transplantation, therapy, research, and education purposes.
6 2. Every city, county, or state official responsible for the remains
7 of unclaimed dead bodies is required to use due diligence to notify the
8 relatives of the decedent.
9 3. The public display of human remains must be regulated to protect
10 individual bodily integrity, as well as the social and cultural values
11 of the state.
12 4. It is the intent of the legislature to require persons who partic-
13 ipate in the public display of human remains for commercial purposes to
14 provide evidence of informed consent from the decedent or relatives of
15 all humans whose remains are put on display, and to provide for the
16 continued use of human remains in the educational, medical, and scien-
17 tific communities to promote human health and safety.
18 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 43-C to
19 read as follows:
20 ARTICLE 43-C
21 COMMERCIAL DISPLAY OF HUMAN REMAINS
22 Section 4380. Definitions.
23 4381. Commercial display of human remains.
24 4382. Permit.
25 4383. Application.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06003-01-3
S. 4683 2
1 § 4380. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms
2 shall have the following meanings:
3 1. "Commercial purposes" means either:
4 (a) A display for which the public is charged a fee or other consider-
5 ation as a condition of viewing; or
6 (b) A display for which an exhibitor accepts payment or other consid-
7 eration.
8 2. "Exhibitor" means a person or entity who shows or puts on, or
9 contracts to show or put on, a temporary public display of human
10 remains.
11 3. "Museum facility" means a public or private nonprofit institution
12 that is accredited by the American Association of Museums or is a part
13 of an accredited college or university, and that is organized on a
14 permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes and
15 that owns or uses tangible objects, cares for those objects, and exhib-
16 its them to the general public on a regular basis.
17 § 4381. Commercial display of human remains. 1. Except as provided in
18 subdivision two of this section, a person shall not display human
19 remains to the public for commercial purposes without first obtaining a
20 permit issued by the department as required by section forty-three
21 hundred eighty-two of this article.
22 2. Subdivision one of this section shall not apply to a display of
23 human remains that is any of the following:
24 (a) More than one hundred years old;
25 (b) Consisting solely of human teeth or hair;
26 (c) Part of the ordinary display or viewing of the deceased at a
27 funeral establishment or part of a similar funeral or memorial service;
28 (d) An object of religious veneration;
29 (e) Consisting solely of bodies transported into and remaining in the
30 state for display prior to the effective date of this section;
31 (f) In the possession of a museum facility; or
32 (g) A display of human remains that is represented by an entity that
33 has displayed human remains in the state for at least three of the last
34 ten years whether or not such display was in operation at the time of
35 the effective date of this article.
36 However, if the museum facility paid or offered other consideration to
37 an exhibitor to display the remains, and the remains are not exempt from
38 this section pursuant to paragraphs (a) through (d) of this subdivision,
39 the exhibitor shall be required to obtain a permit pursuant to section
40 forty-three hundred eighty-two of this article.
41 3. Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a civil
42 penalty of an amount that does not exceed five thousand dollars for each
43 violation.
44 § 4382. Permit. The department shall establish a permit program under
45 this article. A permit may be issued to any person for the purpose
46 described in section forty-three hundred eighty-one of this article only
47 upon a determination by the department that the person has provided
48 valid written authorization to display human remains for consideration
49 from any of the following individuals:
50 1. The decedent, including, but not limited to, authorization given by
51 will;
52 2. Any person authorized to make an anatomical gift under article
53 forty-three of this chapter.
54 § 4383. Application. Nothing in this article shall be construed to
55 apply to the utilization of human remains in a manner that meets the
S. 4683 3
1 purposes set forth in article forty-three of this chapter relating to
2 anatomical gifts.
3 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
4 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
5 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
6 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
7 on or before such effective date.
