84R1757 SCL-D
By: Johnson H.B. No. 1097
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the release of veteran autopsy reports to the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 671, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 671.014 to read as follows:
Sec. 671.014. VETERAN AUTOPSY REPORTS. (a) In this section,
"veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section 2308.251, Government
Code.
(b) The office designated by an autopsy order shall maintain
an autopsy report filed with the office for each deceased person for
whom there is a reasonable likelihood the person was a veteran until
a copy of the autopsy report is released to the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a representative
of the office designated by the autopsy order shall release on
request a deceased veteran's autopsy report that includes the time,
place, and cause of death, if known, to the United States Department
of Veterans Affairs not later than the 15th business day after the
date the office receives the request from the department.
(d) If an autopsy report has not been filed as required by
Section 671.012, a representative of the office designated by the
autopsy order shall, not later than the 10th business day after the
date of a request received under Subsection (c), notify the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs that the autopsy report has
not been filed and the date, to the best of the knowledge of the
representative, that the department may anticipate receiving the
report.
(e) A representative of the office designated by the autopsy
order may notify the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
of the availability of the autopsy report if there is a reasonable
likelihood that the deceased person was a veteran and a request for
the autopsy report has not been submitted to the office by the
department.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.