SENATE BILL REPORT
2SSB 5800
AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 8, 1994
Brief Description: Increasing the penalty for violating human remains.
SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Nelson, A. Smith and Winsley)
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE
Majority Report: That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5800 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators A. Smith, Chairman; Ludwig, Vice Chairman; Hargrove, Nelson, Quigley, Roach, Schow and Spanel.
Staff: Susan Carlson (786‑7418)
Hearing Dates: February 19, 1993; January 26, 1994
BACKGROUND:
Current statutes provide criminal penalties if a person mutilates, disinters, or removes human remains from the place of interment without authority of law. It has been suggested that sexual contact with a deceased person should also be prohibited.
SUMMARY:
A person who has sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a dead human body is guilty of a class C felony. The crime is added to the criminal code and ranked at seriousness level V for the purposes of the Sentencing Reform Act.
Appropriation: none
Revenue: none
Fiscal Note: none requested
TESTIMONY FOR:
Current law does not prohibit this type of conduct. The bill remedies that omission in our laws.
TESTIMONY AGAINST: None
TESTIFIED: Seth Dawson, Snohomish County Prosecuting Office (pro)