Cemetery Board

Oversees Division of Cemeteries operation and administers the NYS Cemetery Law. The Cemetery Law sets standards for the establishment, maintenance and preservation of burial grounds in this state. 

The Cemetery Board comprises the NY Secretary of State, the NY Attorney General, and the Commissioner of Health. Their designees are as follows:  

Designee of NYS Secretary of State  Mark P. Pattison, Chair Deputy Secretary for Local Government New York State Department of State  

Designee of NYS Attorney General  Jill F. Faber Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs Poughkeepsie Regional Office  Office of the New York State Attorney General  

Designee of NYS Commissioner of Health Thomas W. Fuller Director, Bureau of Funeral Directing Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management New York State Department of Health

A cemetery board is hereby created within the division of cemeteries in the department of state, subject to the following requirements: (1) The members of such board shall be the secretary of state, the attorney general and the commissioner of health, who shall serve without additional compensation. (2) The secretary of state, attorney general and commissioner of health may each, by official order filed in the office of his respective department and in the office of the board, designate a deputy or other representative in his department to perform any or all of the duties under this section of the department head making such designation, as may be provided in such order. Such designation shall be deemed temporary only and shall not affect the civil service or retirement rights of any person so designated. Such designees shall serve without additional compensation. (3) The secretary of state shall be chairman of such board, provided that in his absence at any meeting of the board the attorney general or the commissioner of health, in such order, if either or both be present, shall act as chairman. When designees of such officers, in the absence of all such officers, are present at any meeting of the board, the designee of the secretary of state, if present, and in his absence one of the other designees present, in the same order of preference as provided for the officer appointing him, shall act as chairman. (4) Technical, legal or other services shall be performed in so far as practicable by personnel of the departments of state, law and health without additional compensation but the board may employ and compensate within appropriations available therefor such assistants and employees as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section and may prescribe their powers and duties. (5) Two members of the board shall constitute a quorum to transact the business of the board at both regular and special meetings. (6) The board shall meet at least once a month, shall keep a record of all its proceedings and shall determine the rules of its own proceedings. (7) Special meetings may be called by the chairman upon his initiative, and must be called by him upon receipt of a written request therefor signed by another member of the board. Written notice of the time and place of such special meeting shall be delivered to the office of each member of the board. (8) The board shall have the duty of administering the provisions of this chapter which deal with cemetery corporations other than the cemeteries and cemetery corporations enumerated in section fifteen hundred three and shall have all the powers herein provided and such other powers and duties as may be otherwise prescribed by law

No members or their appointees receive additional compensation for their service on the cemetery board.

meeting minutes