NY Educ L § 233 (2021)
2021 New York Laws EDN - Education Title 1 - General Provisions Article 5 - University of the State of New York Part 1 - General Organization 233 - State Museum; Collections Made by the Staff.

§ 233. State  Museum; collections made by the staff. 1. All scientific   specimens and collections, works of art, objects  of  historic  interest   and  similar  property  appropriate to a general museum, if owned by the   state and  not  placed  in  other  custody  by  a  specific  law,  shall   constitute  the  collections of the state museum. The state museum shall   be the custodian of the collections, shall perform standard  curatorial,   research  and  educational  activities  and  a director appointed by the   regents shall constitute its head.2. Any scientific collection made by a  member  of  the  museum  staff   during  his  term  of  office  shall,  unless  otherwise  authorized  by   resolution of the regents, belong to the state  and  form  part  of  the   state museum.3.  The  state  of New York, through its legislative authority accepts   the provisions of section one hundred twenty of the federal-aid  highway   act of nineteen hundred fifty-six (70 Stat. 374) relating to the salvage   of  archaeological or paleontological objects, including but not limited   to ruins, historic sites, Indian burial grounds, cemeteries,  buildings,   artifacts,  fossils  or,  other  objects  of  antiquity  having national   significance  from  an  historical,  cultural,  social   or   scientific   standpoint,  and  empowers  and directs the commissioner of education to   promulgate  joint  regulations  with  the  department  of  environmental   conservation,  the  office of general services, and the office of parks,   recreation and historic preservation and make agreements with those  and   other  appropriate  state  departments  or  agencies  and such agency or   agencies as needed to carry out the purposes of such provision of law.4. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision three of this  section,   no  person  shall  investigate, excavate, remove, injure, appropriate or   destroy any object  of  archaeological,  historical,  cultural,  social,   scientific  or  paleontological interest, situated on, in or under lands   owned by the state of New York, without the written  permission  of  the   commissioner   of   education.  A  violation  of  this  provision  shall   constitute  a  class  A  misdemeanor.  The  attorney   general,   either   independently  or  upon  referral  from a state agency, shall seek civil   and/or criminal prosecution, civil and/or  criminal  penalties  and  any   other relief, including but not limited to seizure and forfeiture of the   appropriate  items,  and  forfeiture  of  the  instrumentalities  of the   unauthorized actions on state lands. The discovery of any  such  objects   shall  be forthwith reported to the commissioner by the state department   or agency having jurisdiction over such lands.5.  Permits  for  the  examination,   excavation   or   gathering   of   archaeological,    historical,    cultural,    social,   scientific   or   paleontological  objects  upon  the   lands   under   their   respective   jurisdictions  may be granted by the heads of those state departments or   agencies to persons authorized by the commissioner of education for  the   purposes  of the state museum and state science service, for the purpose   of the preservation of any such objects worthy of permanent preservation   and, in all cases, to the acquisition  and  dissemination  of  knowledge   relating thereto.