S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2507
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  EICHENSTEIN -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Codes
 
 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:
 § 145.23 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.
   §  2.  The penal law is amended by adding a new section 145.24 to read
 as follows:
 § 145.24 CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00407-01-1
              
             
                          
                
 A. 2507                             2
 
   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 145.23  OF  THIS  ARTICLE  AND  HAS  BEEN  PREVIOUSLY
 CONVICTED  OF  THE CRIME OF CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE SECOND DEGREE OR
 CEMETERY  DESECRATION  IN  THE  FIRST  DEGREE  WITHIN THE PRECEDING FIVE
 YEARS.
   CEMETERY DESECRATION IN THE FIRST DEGREE IS A CLASS D FELONY.
   § 3. Section 145.22 of the penal law is REPEALED.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.