Bill Text: NY S07822 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for the creation, operation, and duties of natural organic reduction facilities as cemetery corporations for the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-25 - REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS [S07822 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S07822-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7822 IN SENATE February 25, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the not-for-profit corporation law, in relation to the creation, operation, and duties of natural organic reduction facili- ties as cemetery corporations The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraphs (a), (m), (n) and (o) of section 1502 of the 2 not-for-profit corporation law, paragraph (a) as added by chapter 871 of 3 the laws of 1977, paragraphs (m), (n) and (o) as added by chapter 579 of 4 the laws of 2006, are amended and two new paragraphs (t) and (u) are 5 added to read as follows: 6 (a) The term "cemetery corporation" means any corporation formed under 7 a general or special law for the disposal or burial of deceased human 8 beings, by cremation, natural organic reduction or in a grave, mausole- 9 um, vault, columbarium or other receptacle but does not include a family 10 cemetery corporation or a private cemetery corporation. 11 (m) The term "holding facility" or "temporary storage facility" means 12 an area that (i) is designated for the retention of human remains prior 13 to cremation or natural organic reduction; (ii) complies with all appli- 14 cable public health laws, (iii) preserves the health and safety of the 15 crematory or natural organic reduction facility personnel; and (iv) is 16 secure from access by anyone other than authorized persons. The interior 17 of such facility shall not be visible from any area accessible to the 18 general public. 19 (n) The [term] terms "cremation permit" [means] and "natural organic 20 reduction permit" mean the burial and removal permit required pursuant 21 to section forty-one hundred forty-five of the public health law that is 22 annotated for disposition of the remains of a deceased human being by 23 cremation or natural organic reduction. 24 (o) The [term] terms "cremation authorization" [means] and "natural 25 organic reduction authorization" mean the crematory or natural organic 26 reduction form authorizing a cremation or natural organic reduction EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14715-04-0S. 7822 2 1 which is signed by the next of kin or authorizing agent. This crematory 2 or natural organic reduction form must be a separate document and cannot 3 be a part of another form or document. 4 (t) The term "natural organic reduction" means the contained, acceler- 5 ated conversion of human remains to soil. 6 (u) The term "natural organic reduction facility" means a structure, 7 room, or other space in a building or real property where natural organ- 8 ic reduction of a human body occurs. 9 § 2. Section 1503 of the not-for-profit corporation law, as separately 10 amended by chapters 579 and 580 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read 11 as follows: 12 § 1503. Application. 13 (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, 14 section fifteen hundred five-b, paragraph (c) of section fifteen hundred 15 seven, [and] paragraph (m) of section fifteen hundred ten, and section 16 fifteen hundred eighteen of this article does not apply to (1) a reli- 17 gious corporation, (2) a municipal corporation, (3) a cemetery corpo- 18 ration owning a cemetery operated, supervised or controlled by or in 19 connection with a religious corporation or (4) a cemetery belonging to a 20 religious or a municipal corporation, or operated, supervised or 21 controlled by or in connection with a religious corporation unless any 22 officer, member or employee of any such corporation shall receive or may 23 be lawfully entitled to receive any pecuniary profit from the operations 24 thereof, other than reasonable compensation for services in effecting 25 one or more of the purposes of such corporation or as proper benefici- 26 aries of its strictly charitable purposes or unless the organization of 27 any such corporation for any of its avowed purposes be a guise or 28 pretense for directly or indirectly making any other pecuniary profit 29 for such corporation, or for any of its officers, members or employees, 30 and unless any such corporation is not, in good faith, organized or 31 conducted exclusively for one or more of its stated purposes. 32 (b) All crematories or natural organic reduction facilities shall be 33 subject to inspection by the division of cemeteries. Upon inspection, 34 the crematory or natural organic reduction facility may be asked to 35 produce any and all records for the operation and maintenance of the 36 crematory or natural organic reduction facility. These records may 37 include but not be limited to cremation or natural organic reduction 38 authorizations, rules and regulations of the crematory or natural organ- 39 ic reduction facility, procedures as set forth in section fifteen 40 hundred seventeen of this article, and the written procedure of the 41 identification of remains. 42 § 3. The not-for-profit corporation law is amended by adding a new 43 section 1505-b to read as follows: 44 § 1505-b. Additional requirements for incorporation of natural organic 45 reduction facilities. 46 (a) Approval. A cemetery corporation seeking the approval to operate a 47 natural organic reduction facility shall submit for approval by the 48 cemetery board the following: 49 (1) a list of the directors, employees, and certificate holders of the 50 cemetery corporation; 51 (2) a certified survey of the site and location within the county it 52 will be situated; 53 (3) a business plan for the operation of the natural organic reduction 54 facility to include, but not be limited to, number of expected natural 55 organic reductions per year, number of natural organic reduction units,S. 7822 3 1 manufacture, capital costs, financing, anticipated number of employees, 2 types of services provided, pricing thereof; 3 (4) a description of the impact of the proposed natural organic 4 reduction facility on other natural organic reduction facilities, if 5 any, within the county; 6 (5) plans, designs, and costs of any structures to be erected or 7 retrofitted for the natural organic reduction facility use; and 8 (6) a description of any approvals or permits required by state or 9 local law. No natural organic reduction facility shall be approved until 10 such other approvals or permits have been obtained. 11 (b) Further information. Within thirty-five days following receipt of 12 the information required by paragraph (a) of this section, the cemetery 13 board or the division of cemeteries may request from the cemetery corpo- 14 ration any additional information or documentation and technical assist- 15 ance deemed necessary to review such information. Such information shall 16 not be deemed complete until the requested additional information has 17 been received. If no such request is made, the submission shall be 18 deemed complete on the thirty-fifth day after its receipt by the divi- 19 sion of cemeteries. 20 (c) Determination. The cemetery board shall approve or deny the 21 proposed natural organic reduction facility within ninety days of the 22 completed submission. 23 (d) Notification. The cemetery board shall provide written notice of 24 its determination to the cemetery corporation. If a negative determi- 25 nation is made, such notice shall state the reasons therefor. Notice 26 shall be made by registered or certified mail addressed to the cemetery 27 corporation at its principal office. 28 § 4. Paragraph (c) of section 1508 of the not-for-profit corporation 29 law, as amended by chapter 579 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read 30 as follows: 31 (c) Cemetery payment for administration. To defray the expenses of 32 examination and administration, each cemetery corporation shall not 33 later than March fifteenth in each calendar year, pay to the cemetery 34 board the sum of three dollars per interment and cremation or natural 35 organic reduction in excess of fifteen interments [or], cremations, or 36 natural organic reductions for the preceding calendar year. No contrib- 37 ution shall be collected upon the interment of the [cremains] remains of 38 a deceased person where a contribution was collected upon cremation or 39 natural organic reduction. 40 § 5. Paragraph (c) of section 1510 of the not-for-profit corporation 41 law, as amended by chapter 579 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read 42 as follows: 43 (c) Record of burials, natural organic reductions or cremations. A 44 record shall be kept of every burial in the cemetery of a cemetery 45 corporation, showing the date of burial, the name, age, and place of 46 birth of the person buried, when these particulars can be conveniently 47 obtained, and the lot, plot, or part thereof, in which such burial was 48 made. A copy of such record, duly certified by the secretary of such 49 corporation, shall be furnished on demand and payment of such fees 50 therefor as are allowed the county clerk for certified copies of 51 records. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, all ceme- 52 tery corporations which conduct cremations or natural organic reductions 53 shall maintain permanent records of the name of the deceased human 54 being, the funeral home from which the remains were received, the 55 receipt of delivery of the deceased human remains, the authorizing agent 56 for the cremation or natural organic reduction, and the manner of dispo-S. 7822 4 1 sition of the [cremains] remains. Such records may be reviewed by the 2 division of cemeteries at any time. 3 § 6. The not-for-profit corporation law is amended by adding a new 4 section 1518 to read as follows: 5 § 1518. Natural organic reduction facility operations. 6 Cemetery corporations that operate a natural organic reduction facili- 7 ty shall have the following duties and obligations: 8 (a) Maintenance and privacy. (1) A natural organic reduction facility 9 shall be maintained in a clean, orderly, and sanitary manner, with 10 adequate ventilation and shall have a temporary storage area available 11 to store the remains of deceased human beings pending disposition by 12 natural organic reduction, the interior of which shall not be accessible 13 to the general public. 14 (2) Entrances and windows of the facility shall be maintained at all 15 times to secure privacy, including (i) doors shall be tightly closed and 16 rigid; (ii) windows shall be covered; and (iii) entrances shall be 17 locked and secured when not actively attended by authorized facility 18 personnel. 19 (b) Natural organic reduction process. (1) The natural organic 20 reduction process shall be conducted in privacy. No person except 21 authorized persons shall be admitted into the reduction area, holding 22 facility, or the temporary storage facility while the remains of 23 deceased human beings are being naturally organically reduced. Author- 24 ized persons, on admittance, shall comply with all rules of the cemetery 25 corporation and not infringe upon the privacy of the remains of deceased 26 human beings. 27 (2) The following are authorized persons: (i) licensed, registered 28 funeral directors, registered residents, and enrolled students of mortu- 29 ary science; (ii) officers and trustees of the cemetery corporation; 30 (iii) authorized employees or their authorized agents of the cemetery 31 corporation; (iv) public officers acting in the discharge of their 32 duties; (v) authorized instructors of funeral directing schools; (vi) 33 licensed physicians or nurses; and (vii) members of the immediate family 34 of the deceased and their authorized agents and designated represen- 35 tatives. 36 (c) Identification of deceased human beings. (1) No natural organic 37 reduction facility shall naturally organically reduce the remains of any 38 deceased human being without the accompanying natural organic reduction 39 permit, required pursuant to section forty-one hundred forty-five of the 40 public health law which permit shall constitute presumptive evidence of 41 the identity of the said remains. In addition, all natural organic 42 reduction facilities situated outside the city of New York, must comply 43 with paragraph (b) of subdivision two of section forty-one hundred 44 forty-five of the public health law pertaining to the receipt for the 45 deceased human being. From the time of such delivery to the natural 46 organic reduction facility, until the time the natural organic reduction 47 facility distributes the remains as directed, the facility shall be 48 responsible for the remains of the deceased human being. Further, a 49 natural organic reduction authorization form shall accompany the permit 50 required in section forty-one hundred forty-five of the public health 51 law. This form, provided or approved by the facility, shall be signed by 52 the next of kin or authorizing agent attesting to the permission for the 53 natural organic reduction of the deceased, and disclosing to the natural 54 organic reduction facility that such body does not contain a battery, 55 battery pack, power cell, radioactive implant, or radioactive device, ifS. 7822 5 1 any, and that these materials were removed prior to the natural organic 2 reduction process. 3 (2) Upon good cause being shown rebutting the presumption of the iden- 4 tity of such remains, the natural organic reduction shall not commence 5 until reasonable confirmation of the identity of the deceased human 6 being is made. This proof may be in the form of, but not limited to, a 7 signed affidavit from a licensed physician, a member of the family of 8 the deceased human being, the authorizing agent or a court order from 9 the state supreme court within the county of the cemetery corporation. 10 Such proof shall be provided by the authorizing agent. 11 (3) The facility shall have a written plan to assure that the iden- 12 tification established by the natural organic reduction permit accompa- 13 nies the remains of the deceased human being through the natural organic 14 reduction process and until the identity of the deceased is accurately 15 and legibly inscribed on the container in which the remains are tempo- 16 rarily placed. 17 (d) Opening of a container holding the remains of the deceased human 18 being. (1) The remains of a deceased human being shall be delivered to 19 the natural organic reduction facility in an alternative container or in 20 external wrappings sufficient to contain the remains and also designed 21 to fully decompose in the natural reduction process. Such alternative 22 container or external wrappings holding the remains of the deceased 23 human being shall not be opened after delivery to the natural organic 24 reduction facility unless there exists good cause to confirm the identi- 25 ty of the deceased, or to assure that no material is enclosed which 26 might cause injury to employees or damage to natural organic reduction 27 facility property, or upon reasonable demand by members of the immediate 28 family or the authorized agent. 29 (2) In such instances in which alternative container or wrappings are 30 opened after delivery to the natural organic reduction facility, such 31 action shall only be conducted by the licensed funeral director or 32 registered resident delivering the remains of the deceased human being 33 and a record shall be made, which shall include the reason for such 34 action, the signature of the person authorizing the opening thereof, and 35 the names of the person opening the container or wrappings and the 36 witness thereto, which shall be retained in the permanent file of the 37 natural organic reduction facility. The opening of the container or 38 wrapping shall be conducted in the presence of the witness and shall 39 comply with all rules and regulations intended to protect the health and 40 safety of natural organic reduction facility personnel. 41 (e) Ceremonial casket natural organic reduction disclosure. In those 42 instances in which the remains of deceased human beings are to be deliv- 43 ered to a natural organic reduction facility in a casket that is not to 44 be naturally organically reduced with the deceased, timely disclosure 45 thereof must be made by the person making the funeral arrangements to 46 the natural organic reduction facility that prior to natural organic 47 reduction the remains of the deceased human being shall be transferred 48 to an alternative container. Such signed acknowledgement of the author- 49 izing person, that the timely disclosure has been made, shall be 50 retained by the natural organic reduction facility in its permanent 51 records. 52 (f) Transferring remains. (1) The remains of a deceased human being 53 shall not be removed from the casket, alternative container, or external 54 wrappings in which it is delivered to the natural organic reduction 55 facility unless explicit, signed authorization is provided by the person 56 making funeral arrangements or by a public officer discharging his orS. 7822 6 1 her statutory duty, which signed authorization shall be retained by the 2 natural organic reduction facility in its permanent records. 3 (2) When the remains of a deceased human being are to be transferred 4 to an alternative container, the transfer shall be conducted in privacy 5 with dignity and respect and by the licensed funeral director or regis- 6 tered resident who delivered those remains. The transferring operation 7 shall comply with all rules and regulations intended to protect the 8 health and safety of facility personnel. 9 (g) Commingling human remains. The natural organic reduction of 10 remains of more than one deceased human being in a reduction container 11 at any one time is unlawful, except upon the explicit, signed authori- 12 zation provided by the persons making funeral arrangements and the 13 signed approval of the natural organic reduction facility, which shall 14 be retained by the natural organic reduction facility in its permanent 15 records. 16 (h) Processing of remains. (1) Upon the completion of the natural 17 organic reduction of the remains of a deceased human being, the interior 18 of the natural organic reduction container shall be thoroughly swept or 19 otherwise cleaned so as to render the natural organic reduction contain- 20 er reasonably free of all matter. The contents thereof shall be placed 21 into an individual container and not commingled with other remains. The 22 natural organic reduction permit shall be attached to the individual 23 container preparatory to final processing. 24 (2) A magnet and sieve, or other appropriate method of separation, may 25 be used to divide the remains from unrecognizable incidental or foreign 26 material. 27 (3) The incidental and foreign material of the natural organic 28 reduction process shall be disposed of in a safe manner in compliance 29 with all sanitary rules and regulations as byproducts. 30 (4) The remains shall be pulverized until no single fragment is recog- 31 nizable as skeletal tissue. 32 (5) The pulverized remains shall be transferred to a container or to 33 multiple containers, if so requested in writing by the person making the 34 funeral arrangements for the natural organic reduction. Such container 35 or containers shall have inside dimensions of suitable size to contain 36 the remains of the person who was naturally organically reduced. 37 (6) The prescribed container or containers shall be accurately and 38 legibly labeled with the identification of the human being whose remains 39 are contained therein, in a manner acceptable to the division of ceme- 40 teries. 41 (i) Disposition of remains. The authorizing agent shall be responsible 42 for the final disposition of the remains. Disposition of remains result- 43 ing from the natural organic reduction process are not recoverable once 44 scattered or interred. Remains shall be disposed of by scattering them 45 in a designated scattering garden or area in a cemetery, or by prior 46 authorization by the cemetery corporation, by placing them in a grave, 47 crypt, or niche, or retrieval of the remains pursuant to prior authori- 48 zation by the authorizing agent or a person specifically designated by 49 the authorizing agent. Upon completion of the natural organic reduction 50 process, the cemetery corporation shall notify the authorizing agent and 51 funeral firm making such arrangements that the natural organic reduction 52 process has been completed and that the remains are prepared to be 53 disposed of in accordance with this paragraph. After disposition, the 54 cemetery corporation shall be discharged from any legal obligation or 55 liability concerning the remains. If, after a period of one hundred 56 twenty days from the date of the natural organic reduction, the author-S. 7822 7 1 izing agent has not instructed the cemetery corporation to arrange for 2 the final disposition of the remains or claimed the remains, the ceme- 3 tery corporation may dispose of the remains in any manner permitted by 4 this section. The cemetery corporation, however, shall keep a permanent 5 record identifying the site of final disposition. The authorizing agent 6 shall be responsible for reimbursing the cemetery corporation for all 7 reasonable expenses incurred in disposing of the remains. Upon disposing 8 of the remains, the cemetery corporation shall be discharged from any 9 legal obligation or liability concerning the remains. Except with the 10 express written permission of the authorizing agent, no person shall 11 place remains of more than one person in the same temporary container or 12 urn. 13 (j) Natural organic reduction facility operation certification. Any 14 employee of a natural organic reduction whose function is to conduct the 15 daily operations of the cremation or natural organic reduction process 16 shall be certified by an organization approved by the division of ceme- 17 teries. Proof of such certification shall be posted in the natural 18 organic reduction facility and available for inspection at any time. Any 19 new employees of a natural organic reduction facility required to be 20 certified under this section shall be certified within one year of their 21 employment. Any employees of a natural organic reduction facility 22 required to be certified under this section and retained prior to the 23 effective date of this paragraph shall be certified within one year of 24 such effective date. Renewal of such certification shall be completed 25 every five years from the date of certification. 26 § 7. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 27 have become a law.
