The petition
THE UNDERSIGNED strongly support the creation of state and federal laws to BAN the commercial display of human remains. These laws would build upon and proliferate the intent of the the bill currently proposed in Washington State, HB 1253 – 2007 – 08 (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/Summary.aspx?bill=1253&year=2007)
Specifically the proposed bill would declare it
unlawful to display human remains to the public for commercial profit.
In non-commercial cases as for educational institutions only with valid authorization from the deceased. Validity would be determined by the state or province in which the exhibit would take place.
Human remains are presumed to be held in compliance with this section when the remains are in the possession of an institution accredited as a museum or in the possession of an accredited institution of higher education. The aforementioned institutions must be accredited in the same country as the intended exhibition.
This section does not apply to the display of human remains:
1 More than one hundred years old;
2 Consisting solely of human teeth or hair;
3 As part of the ordinary display or viewing of the deceased at
4 a licenced funeral establishment or a similar funeral or memorial service; or as objects of religious veneration.
Bodies imported to the country of exhibition shall be done so only under regulations required of human cadavers, such as health inspection stamps, death certificates showing unquestionable death result, not as a homicide or during imprisonment for political or religious reasons and valid documentation of consent.
Violation of this law would be a federal offense with significant penalties associated such as fines and imprisonment. The attorney general, US Attorney or the appropriate prosecuting attorney may bring an action to enjoin a violation to the superior court of the United States, or the state superior court or the county in which the violation occurs, has occurred, or is about to occur.
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