House Bill No. 7250
Public Act No. 17-49
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 Section 53a-218 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):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.