General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7250
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 5008
*05008_______JUD*
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
(JUD)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 7250
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 5008
*05008_______JUD*
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT CONCERNING DESECRATION OF AN ABANDONED CEMETERY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 53a-218 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) A person is guilty of interference with a cemetery or burial ground when [he, without authorization of the owner of the burial lot, or a lineal descendant of the deceased, or of the municipality, cemetery association or person or authority responsible for the control or management of the cemetery or burial ground] such person: (1) Intentionally destroys, mutilates, defaces, injures or removes any tomb, monument, gravestone or other structure placed or designed for a memorial of the dead, or any portion or fragment [thereof] of such tomb, monument, gravestone or other structure, or any fence, railing, curb or other enclosure for the burial of the dead, in or from any cemetery or burial ground that is (A) an abandoned cemetery, as defined in section 19a-308a, or (B) a cemetery or burial ground other than an abandoned cemetery and such person takes any such action without authorization of the owner of the burial lot, or a lineal descendant of the deceased, or of the municipality, cemetery association or person or authority responsible for the control or management of the cemetery or burial ground; or (2) wantonly or maliciously disturbs the contents of any tomb or grave in any cemetery or burial ground that is (A) an abandoned cemetery, as defined in section 19a-308a, or (B) a cemetery or burial ground other than an abandoned cemetery and such person takes any such action without authorization of the owner of the burial lot, or a lineal descendant of the deceased, or of the municipality, cemetery association or person or authority responsible for the control or management of the cemetery or burial ground.
(b) Interference with a cemetery or burial ground is a class C felony and any person found guilty under this section shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2017 53a-218
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2017
53a-218
Statement of Purpose:
To apply the cemetery desecration law to abandoned cemeteries.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]