| 1 | | - | BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.41 |
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| 2 | | - | 2025 Page1of4 |
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| 3 | | - | H.41 |
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| 4 | | - | IntroducedbyRepresentativesBurdittofWestRutlandandDemarof |
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| 5 | | - | Enosburgh |
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| 6 | | - | ReferredtoCommitteeon |
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| 7 | | - | Date: |
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| 8 | | - | Subject:Crimes;homicide;abuseofacorpse |
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| 9 | | - | Statementofpurposeofbillasintroduced:Thisbillproposestocreateanew |
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| 10 | | - | felonystatuteforanindividualwhoabusesacorpse.Specifically,thisbill |
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| 11 | | - | makesitafelonyforanindividualtotransportordestroyacorpsewithout |
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| 12 | | - | legalauthorization.Additionally,thisbillcreatesanaggravatedfelonypenalty |
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| 13 | | - | foractionstakenagainstacorpsetoconcealacrimeorotherwiseavoidthe |
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| 14 | | - | consequencesofthecommissionofacrime. |
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| 15 | | - | Anactrelatingtocreatingafelonypenaltyforabuseofacorpse |
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| 16 | | - | Anactrelatingtoabuseofthedeadbodyofaperson |
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| 17 | | - | ItisherebyenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyoftheStateofVermont: |
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| 18 | | - | Sec.1.13V.S.A.§ 2312isaddedtoread: |
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| 19 | | - | § 2312.ABUSEOFACORPSE |
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| 20 | | - | (a)Apersonisguiltyofabuseofacorpseiftheperson,withoutlegal |
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| 21 | | - | authorization,knowingly: |
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| 22 | | - | (1)transports,buries,orotherwisehidesacorpse;or |
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| 41 | | - | 19 BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.41 |
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| 42 | | - | 2025 Page2of4 |
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| 43 | | - | (2)burns,mutilates,disfigures,dismembers,orotherwisedestroysa |
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| 44 | | - | corpse. |
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| 45 | | - | (b)Apersonisguiltyofaggravatedabuseofacorpseiftheperson |
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| 46 | | - | intentionally: |
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| 47 | | - | (1)transports,buries,orotherwisehidesacorpsetoconcealacrimeor |
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| 48 | | - | avoidapprehension,prosecution,orconvictionofacrime; |
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| 49 | | - | (2)burns,mutilates,disfigures,dismembers,orotherwisedestroysa |
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| 50 | | - | corpsetoconcealacrimeoravoidapprehension,prosecution,orconvictionof |
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| 51 | | - | acrime;or |
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| 52 | | - | (3)perpetratesorattemptstoperpetratesexualassaultagainstacorpse. |
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| 53 | | - | (c)(1)Apersonwhocommitsthecrimeofabuseofacorpseshallbe |
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| 54 | | - | imprisonedfornotmorethanfiveyearsorfinednotmorethan$5,000.00,or |
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| 55 | | - | both. |
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| 56 | | - | (2)Apersonwhocommitsthecrimeofaggravatedabuseofacorpse |
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| 57 | | - | shallbeimprisonedfornotlessthanfiveyearsandamaximumtermof10 |
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| 58 | | - | yearsandmaybefinednotmorethan$10,000.00. |
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| 59 | | - | Sec.2.EFFECTIVEDATE |
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| 60 | | - | ThisactshalltakeeffectonJuly1,2025. |
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| 61 | | - | Sec.1.13V.S.A.§ 3761aisaddedtoread: |
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| 62 | | - | § 3761a.ABUSEOFTHEDEADBODYOFAPERSON |
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| 80 | | - | 18 BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.41 |
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| 81 | | - | 2025 Page3of4 |
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| 82 | | - | (a)Nopersonshall,knowinglywithoutlegalauthorization,intentionally |
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| 83 | | - | burn,mutilate,disfigure,dismember,ordestroythedeadbodyofaperson. |
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| 84 | | - | (b)(1)Nopersonshallintentionallybury,transport,hide,conceal,burn, |
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| 85 | | - | mutilate,disfigure,dismember,ordestroythedeadbodyofapersonforthe |
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| 86 | | - | purposeofconcealingacrimeoravoidingapprehension,prosecution,or |
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| 87 | | - | convictionofacrime. |
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| 88 | | - | (2)Nopersonshallcommitsexualconductuponthedeadbodyofa |
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| 89 | | - | person. |
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| 90 | | - | (c)(1)Apersonwhoviolatessubsection(a)ofthissectionshallbe |
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| 91 | | - | imprisonednotmorethanfiveyearsorfinednotmorethan$5,000.00,orboth. |
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| 92 | | - | (2)Apersonwhoviolatessubsection(b)ofthissectionshallbe |
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| 93 | | - | imprisonednotmorethan15yearsorfinednotmorethan$10,000.00,orboth. |
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| 94 | | - | (d)Asusedinthissection: |
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| 95 | | - | (1)“Deadbodyofaperson”doesnotincludethecrematedremainsofa |
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| 96 | | - | person. |
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| 97 | | - | (2)“Sexualconduct”meansanyofthefollowingcommittedagainstthe |
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| 98 | | - | deadbodyofaperson: |
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| 99 | | - | (A)anyconductinvolvingcontactbetweenthepenisandthevulva, |
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| 100 | | - | thepenisandthepenis,thepenisandtheanus,themouthandthepenis,the |
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| 101 | | - | mouthandtheanus,thevulvaandthevulva,orthemouthandthevulva; BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.41 |
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| 102 | | - | 2025 Page4of4 |
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| 103 | | - | (B)anyintrusion,howeverslight,byanypartofanindividual’sbody |
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| 104 | | - | oranyobjectintoanypartofadeadhumanbodywiththeintentofarousing, |
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| 105 | | - | appealingto,orgratifyingthelust,passions,orsexualdesireofany |
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| 106 | | - | individual; |
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| 107 | | - | (C)anytouchingofthedeadhumanbodywiththeintentofarousing, |
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| 108 | | - | appealingto,orgratifyingthelust,passions,orsexualdesireofany |
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| 109 | | - | individual; |
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| 110 | | - | (D)masturbation;or |
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| 111 | | - | (E)bestiality. |
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| 112 | | - | Sec.2.18V.S.A.§ 5211isamendedtoread: |
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| 113 | | - | §5211.UNAUTHORIZEDBURIALORREMOVAL;PENALTY |
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| 114 | | - | Apersonwhoburies,entombs,transports,orremovesthedeadbodyofa |
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| 115 | | - | personwithoutaburial-transitpermitsotodo,orinanyothermannerorat |
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| 116 | | - | anyothertimeorplacethanasspecifiedinsuchpermit,shallbeimprisoned |
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| 117 | | - | notmorethanfiveyearsorfinednotmorethan$1,000.00,orboth. |
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| 118 | | - | Sec.3.EFFECTIVEDATE |
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| 119 | | - | ThisactshalltakeeffectonJuly1,2025. |
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| 1 | + | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.41 |
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| 2 | + | 2025 Page 1 of 2 |
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| 4 | + | |
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| 5 | + | VT LEG #379089 v.1 |
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| 6 | + | H.41 1 |
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| 7 | + | Introduced by Representatives Burditt of West Rutland and Demar of 2 |
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| 8 | + | Enosburgh 3 |
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| 9 | + | Referred to Committee on 4 |
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| 10 | + | Date: 5 |
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| 11 | + | Subject: Crimes; homicide; abuse of a corpse 6 |
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| 12 | + | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create a new 7 |
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| 13 | + | felony statute for an individual who abuses a corpse. Specifically, this bill 8 |
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| 14 | + | makes it a felony for an individual to transport or destroy a corpse without 9 |
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| 15 | + | legal authorization. Additionally, this bill creates an aggravated felony penalty 10 |
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| 16 | + | for actions taken against a corpse to conceal a crime or otherwise avoid the 11 |
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| 17 | + | consequences of the commission of a crime. 12 |
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| 18 | + | An act relating to creating a felony penalty for abuse of a corpse 13 |
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| 19 | + | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14 |
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| 20 | + | Sec. 1. 13 V.S.A. § 2312 is added to read: 15 |
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| 21 | + | § 2312. ABUSE OF A CORPSE 16 |
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| 22 | + | (a) A person is guilty of abuse of a corpse if the person, without legal 17 |
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| 23 | + | authorization, knowingly: 18 |
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| 24 | + | (1) transports, buries, or otherwise hides a corpse; or 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.41 |
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| 25 | + | 2025 Page 2 of 2 |
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| 26 | + | |
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| 28 | + | VT LEG #379089 v.1 |
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| 29 | + | (2) burns, mutilates, disfigures, dismembers, or otherwise destroys a 1 |
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| 30 | + | corpse. 2 |
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| 31 | + | (b) A person is guilty of aggravated abuse of a corpse if the person 3 |
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| 32 | + | intentionally: 4 |
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| 33 | + | (1) transports, buries, or otherwise hides a corpse to conceal a crime or 5 |
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| 34 | + | avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of a crime; 6 |
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| 35 | + | (2) burns, mutilates, disfigures, dismembers, or otherwise destroys a 7 |
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| 36 | + | corpse to conceal a crime or avoid apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of 8 |
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| 37 | + | a crime; or 9 |
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| 38 | + | (3) perpetrates or attempts to perpetrate sexual assault against a corpse. 10 |
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| 39 | + | (c)(1) A person who commits the crime of abuse of a corpse shall be 11 |
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| 40 | + | imprisoned for not more than five years or fined not more than $5,000.00, or 12 |
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| 41 | + | both. 13 |
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| 42 | + | (2) A person who commits the crime of aggravated abuse of a corpse 14 |
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| 43 | + | shall be imprisoned for not less than five years and a maximum term of 10 15 |
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| 44 | + | years and may be fined not more than $10,000.00. 16 |
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| 45 | + | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 17 |
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| 46 | + | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 18 |
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