H-1494.2

HOUSE BILL 2025


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2015 Regular Session

By Representative Appleton

Read first time 02/06/15. Referred to Committee on Public Safety.

AN ACT Relating to the sale and commercial display of human remains; amending RCW 68.50.130; creating a new section; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The sale or commercial display of human remains is offensive to community standards of decency. The public outcry against the sale and display of Native American remains reminds us of the basic dignity that all human remains should be granted. The legislature through this act does not intend to prevent legitimate medical or educational endeavors and believes the respectful treatment and disposal of human remains is compatible with those aims. The legislature does intend to prohibit the sale for profit of human remains and any commercial display for advertising or other benefit.

(1) Every person who performs a disposition of any human remains, except as otherwise provided by law, in any place, except in a cemetery or a building dedicated exclusively for religious purposes, is guilty of a misdemeanor. A person who sells or commercially displays human remains is guilty of a class C felony. Disposition of cremated human remains may also occur on private property, with the consent of the property owner; and on public or government lands or waters with the approval of the government agency that has either jurisdiction or control, or both, of the lands or waters.

(2) Nothing in this section prohibits the possession of human remains by authorized search and rescue personnel for the purpose of training human remains detection canines. For the purposes of this subsection, "authorized search and rescue personnel" means personnel registered as emergency workers with their county's department of emergency management who deploy at the direction of law enforcement agencies.