TX
Texas House Bill HB1675

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1675 Compare Versions

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1-By: Campos, Garcia of Bexar, Ordaz, LaHood, H.B. No. 1675
2- Johnson
3-
4-
1+89R20909 EAS-D
2+ By: Campos H.B. No. 1675
3+ Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1675:
4+ By: VanDeaver C.S.H.B. No. 1675
55
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77 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
88 AN ACT
99 relating to the interment of certain cremated animal remains with
10- human remains in perpetual care cemeteries and the eligibility of
11- those cemeteries for an exemption from ad valorem taxation.
10+ human remains in perpetual care cemeteries.
1211 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1312 SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as Mona's Law.
1413 SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 712, Health and Safety
1514 Code, is amended by adding Section 712.010 to read as follows:
1615 Sec. 712.010. PET INTERMENT. (a) In this section:
1716 (1) "Columbarium," "grave," "interment," and
1817 "memorial" have the meanings assigned by Section 711.001.
19- (2) "Pet" means a domesticated animal that an
18+ (2) "Cremated remains" means the bone fragments
19+ remaining after the cremation process, which may include the
20+ residue of any foreign materials that were cremated with the human
21+ or pet remains.
22+ (3) "Cremation" means the irreversible process of
23+ reducing human or pet remains to bone fragments through extreme
24+ heat and evaporation, which may include the processing or the
25+ pulverization of bone fragments.
26+ (4) "Pet" means a domesticated animal that an
2027 individual owns and keeps in or near the individual's household for
2128 the primary purpose of companionship. The term does not include a
2229 livestock animal as defined by Section 42.09, Penal Code.
23- (3) "Pet remains" means the remains of a pet carcass
24- that has been incinerated by an animal carcass incinerator for
25- which a permit has been issued by the Texas Commission on
26- Environmental Quality.
2730 (b) Notwithstanding any other law, a perpetual care
2831 cemetery may allow:
29- (1) the pet remains of a deceased individual's pet to
30- be:
32+ (1) the cremated remains of a deceased individual's
33+ pet to be:
3134 (A) buried in the individual's casket at the time
3235 of the individual's interment; or
3336 (B) placed beside the individual's cremated
3437 remains in a columbarium; and
3538 (2) information about the pet to be included on the
3639 individual's memorial.
3740 (c) An individual may not euthanize a pet for the purpose of
38- interring the pet remains with a deceased individual.
39- SECTION 3. Section 11.17, Tax Code, is amended to read as
40- follows:
41- Sec. 11.17. CEMETERIES. A person is entitled to an
42- exemption from taxation of the property the person:
43- (1) [he] owns and uses exclusively for human burial or
44- for human and pet burial in accordance with Section 712.010, Health
45- and Safety Code; and
46- (2) does not hold for profit.
47- SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
41+ interring the pet with a deceased individual.
42+ (d) Notwithstanding any other law, a perpetual care
43+ cemetery may dedicate an area, separate from other areas of the
44+ cemetery, as a family cemetery in which a family's human and pet
45+ remains may be buried in separate graves.
46+ SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
4847 of this Act, the Finance Commission of Texas shall adopt rules
4948 necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act.
50- SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
49+ SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.