S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                 7201--A
                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                          I N  A S S E M B L Y
                               May 7, 2013
                               ___________
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on  Codes  -- recommitted to the Committee on Codes in accordance with
  Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to cemetery desecration;  and
  to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto
  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
  Section 1. Section 145.23 of the penal law, as amended by chapter  353
of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
S [145.23] 145.22 Cemetery desecration in the [first] SECOND degree.
  A  person  is  guilty  of  cemetery  desecration in the [first] SECOND
degree when with intent to damage property of another person, and having
no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to believe that  he  OR  SHE
has such right, he OR SHE:
  (a)  damages  any  real  or personal property maintained as a cemetery
plot, grave, burial place or other place of interment of  human  remains
[in an amount exceeding two hundred fifty dollars]; or
  (b)  with intent to steal personal property, he OR SHE steals personal
property[, the value of which exceeds two hundred fifty dollars,]  which
is  located  at  a  cemetery plot, grave, burial place or other place of
interment of human remains and which property is owned by the person  or
organization  which maintains or owns such place or the estate, next-of-
kin or representatives of the deceased person interred there[; or
  (c) commits the crime of cemetery desecration in the second degree  as
defined  in  section  145.22  of  this  article  and has been previously
convicted of the crime of cemetery  desecration  in  the  second  degree
within the preceding five years].
  Cemetery desecration in the [first] SECOND degree is a class E felony.
  S  2.  The penal law is amended by adding a new section 145.23 to read
as follows:
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01469-03-4
              
             
                          
                
A. 7201--A                          2
S 145.23 CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
  A PERSON IS GUILTY OF CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE FIRST DEGREE WHEN HE
OR SHE COMMITS THE CRIME OF CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS
DEFINED  IN  SECTION  145.22  OF  THIS  ARTICLE  AND HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY
CONVICTED OF THE CRIME OF CEMETERY  DESECRATION  IN  THE  SECOND  DEGREE
WITHIN THE PRECEDING FIVE YEARS.
  CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE FIRST DEGREE IS A CLASS D FELONY.
  S 3. Section 145.22 of the penal law is REPEALED.
  S 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.