HB320 creates new criminal offenses in New Mexico for necrophilia and for criminal desecration of a dead human body. The bill defines necrophilia to include using a dead human body for sexual purposes, including intercourse or other sexual contact, as well as causing sexual penetration of a corpse or touching intimate parts of a corpse for sexual purposes. It also separately defines criminal desecration of a dead human body to include unlawful dismemberment, disfigurement, mutilation, burning, or other unlawful acts that cause a corpse to be devoured or scattered.
The bill assigns felony penalties based on the conduct involved. The more serious form of necrophilia described in the bill is a second-degree felony, the touching-based form is a third-degree felony, and criminal desecration of a dead human body is a fourth-degree felony. In effect, HB320 adds explicit statutory crimes and penalty levels where the criminal code currently does not appear to specify these offenses in the same way.
Impact
HB320 would amend the New Mexico Criminal Code by adding a new section establishing necrophilia as a standalone offense and by codifying criminal desecration of a dead human body as a felony offense. It would create new prosecutable conduct for law enforcement and prosecutors, and it would expose offenders to second-, third-, or fourth-degree felony penalties depending on the act. The bill primarily affects criminal law, funeral and mortuary-related handling of remains, and any cases involving abuse or mistreatment of corpses.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of committee testimony or recorded votes, the available record suggests a straightforward punitive public-safety measure with no documented debate in the provided materials. The bill’s sponsors frame it as a crime bill addressing conduct involving dead human bodies, and the caption indicates a clear intent to criminalize necrophilia. Because there are no transcripts or votes included, there is no evidence here of formal support, opposition, or amendments beyond the introduced language.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are definitional and penal severity issues: how broadly “sexual purposes,” “intimate parts,” and “unlawful act” are interpreted, and whether the felony classifications are proportionate to the conduct described. Another possible issue is overlap with existing laws on abuse of a corpse, desecration, or related criminal offenses, though the bill text does not discuss that overlap. No specific stakeholders, committee concerns, or opposing arguments are provided in the record.