New York Laws
Title 2 - Autopsy and Dissection
4212 - Cadavers; Unclaimed; Delivery to Schools; Procedure.

(b) Except as provided in section forty-two hundred ten of this title,
no autopsy or dissection shall be performed on any such unclaimed dead
body by any such person having possession, charge, custody or control of
such body prior to the expiration of the fourth day after such
notification or where such notification is made by mail prior to the
expiration of the eighth day after such notification is postmarked.
2. It shall be the duty of the person having lawful possession,
charge, custody or control of bodies of deceased persons, to keep a
record in a bound book or an electronic log of any and all bodies of
deceased persons thereafter coming into his or her possession, charge,
custody or control and of the disposition made of said bodies, showing
(a) the name of the deceased person, if known, (b) the dates of death
and burial or other lawful disposition, if known, (c) the names and
places of residence of relatives of the deceased person, if known, (d)
the name of the person who claimed the body of the deceased person for
interment or other lawful disposition, (e) the name of the university,
college, school or institute to whom the body of the deceased person was
delivered or released, and (f) the opposition of the deceased to the
dissection or autopsy of his or her body as indicated by an
identification card carried upon his or her person. This record book or
electronic log shall be open to the inspection of the officers and
agents of universities, colleges, schools or institutes entitled to
receive bodies of deceased persons. Any electronic log kept pursuant to
this subdivision shall preserve a record of any addition, deletion or
change made in such log.
3. If two or more universities, colleges, schools or institutes are
entitled to receive bodies of deceased persons under the provisions of
this article and shall be given notice as herein provided, they shall
receive the same in proportion to the number of matriculated students in
each university, college, school or institute who are pursuing courses
of study in anatomy and surgery at the time of making the apportionment.