2012 New York Consolidated Laws
CVP - Civil Practice Law & Rules
Article 45 - (4501 - 4548) EVIDENCE
4527 - Death or other status of missing person.

 
    §  4527.  Death or other status of missing person. (a) Presumed death.
  A written finding of presumed death, made by any  person  authorized  to
  make  such  findings  by  the federal missing persons act is prima facie
  evidence of  the  death,  and  the  date,  circumstances  and  place  of
  disappearance.  In  the  case of a merchant seaman, a written finding of
  presumed death, made by the maritime war emergency board or by  the  war
  shipping  administration  or  the successors or assigns of such board or
  administration in connection with war  risk  insurance  is  prima  facie
  evidence  of  the  death,  and  the  date,  circumstances  and  place of
  disappearance.
    (b) Death, internment, capture and other status. An  official  written
  report  or  record that a person is missing, missing in action, interned
  in a neutral country, or beleaguered, besieged or captured by an  enemy,
  or  is  dead,  or is alive, made by an officer or employee of the United
  States authorized by law of the United States to make it is prima  facie
  evidence of such fact.