AL SB71

Amends Section 13A-7-23.1 of the Code of Alabama 1975 to expand the definition of property protected against desecration and defacement, including tombs, monuments, gravestones, burial mounds, earthen or shell monuments containing human remains, and cemetery vegetation or decorations.

Establishes two criminal offenses: Class A misdemeanor for willful or malicious injury, defacement, removal, or destruction of protected cemetery property; Class C felony for desecration that involves invasion or mutilation of human corpses or remains.

Provides exemptions from prosecution for cemetery operators following standard rules and regulations, persons holding Alabama Historical Commission permits for preservation or relocation of burial remains, and persons otherwise authorized by law to disturb burial sites or municipal property.

Directs the Alabama Historical Commission to promulgate rules and regulations for issuing permits to persons or companies seeking to restore, preserve, or relocate human burial remains and funerary objects.

Takes effect on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.