| 1 | 1 | | By: Turner of Dallas H.B. No. 3957 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to expedited death certificates for religious purposes. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 193, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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| 9 | 9 | | by adding Section 193.0025 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 193.0025. PROCESS FOR EXPEDITED DEATH CERTIFICATES FOR |
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| 11 | 11 | | RELIGIOUS PURPOSES. (a) The executive commissioner by rule shall |
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| 12 | 12 | | establish a process by which an individual may submit a written |
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| 13 | 13 | | request to the person required to file a death certificate under |
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| 14 | 14 | | Section 193.002 for the person to expedite the completion of a |
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| 15 | 15 | | decedent's death certificate if the requestor demonstrates that: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) the expedited completion is necessary for |
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| 17 | 17 | | religious purposes; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) the requestor is authorized to receive the |
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| 19 | 19 | | certificate. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The process must seek to enable a person required to |
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| 21 | 21 | | file a death certificate who receives a request under Subsection |
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| 22 | 22 | | (a) to issue a copy of a decedent's death certificate to the |
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| 23 | 23 | | requestor not later than 24 hours after the time the person receives |
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| 24 | 24 | | the request, provided an inquest will not be conducted for the |
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| 25 | 25 | | decedent. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 27 | 27 | | of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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| 28 | 28 | | Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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| 29 | 29 | | Section 193.0025, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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