What's happening
This bill expands the definition of cremation to include new processes approved by the cemetery board, not just heat and flame.
Why it matters
Expands options for families and funeral providers. By allowing new cremation methods approved by the cemetery board, the bill could enable environmentally friendly or innovative alternatives (such as alkaline hydrolysis/"water cremation" or other emerging technologies), giving consumers more choice.
Regulatory oversight and public interest. The cemetery board gains authority to evaluate and approve new cremation processes, ensuring that any new methods meet safety, ethical, and environmental standards before becoming available.
Legal clarity and industry modernization. Updating the definition of cremation helps funeral homes and cemeteries operate within a clearer legal framework as technology evolves, potentially reducing legal ambiguity and supporting industry innovation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Cremation Definition
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Recommitted to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Ordered to third reading cal.284
- Advanced to third reading cal.108
- Reported
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Cremation Methods
In Senate Committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions · Sponsor Michael H. Ranzenhofer
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3740
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the not-for-profit corporation law, in relation to the definition of cremation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (h) of section 1502 of the not-for-profit corporation law, as added by chapter 579 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
(h) The term "cremation" means the technical process[,] using heat and flame[,] that reduces human remains to ashes and other residue or any other technical process to reduce human remains to cremains that the cemetery board deems in the public interest and authorizes pursuant to regulations promulgated by the cemetery board. "Cremation" shall include the processing, and may include the pulverization, of such ashes and other residue.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07528-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.