AN ACT to make it a criminal offense to conceal the death of a person.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 52 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 14‑401.22.  Concealment of death.
(a)	Any person who, with the intent to conceal the death of a person, fails to notify a law enforcement authority of the death or secretly buries or otherwise secretly disposes of a dead human body is guilty of a Class I felony.
(b)	Any person who aids, counsels, or abets any other person in concealing the death of a person is guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2005, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 11th day of August, 2005.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 2:01 p.m. this 22nd day of August, 2005