| 1 | 1 | | 89R10579 EAS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Parker S.B. No. 1406 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to persons with the authority to donate a body to certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | entities for the advancement of medical or forensic science. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 691.023(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) An officer, employee, or representative of the state, of |
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| 15 | 15 | | a political subdivision, or of an institution having charge or |
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| 16 | 16 | | control of a body not claimed for burial or a body required to be |
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| 17 | 17 | | buried at public expense shall: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) notify the commission or the commission's |
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| 19 | 19 | | representative of the body's existence when the body comes into the |
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| 20 | 20 | | person's possession, charge, or control if notified in writing to |
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| 21 | 21 | | do so by the commission or the commission's representative; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) deliver the body in accordance with the direction |
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| 23 | 23 | | of the commission[; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | [(3) allow the commission, the commission's |
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| 25 | 25 | | representative, or a physician designated by the commission who |
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| 26 | 26 | | complies with this chapter to remove the body to be used for the |
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| 27 | 27 | | advancement of medical or forensic science]. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 691, Health and Safety |
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| 29 | 29 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 691.0235 to read as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 691.0235. PERSONS WITH AUTHORITY TO DONATE BODY FOR |
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| 31 | 31 | | ADVANCEMENT OF MEDICAL OR FORENSIC SCIENCE. (a) Notwithstanding |
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| 32 | 32 | | any other provision of this chapter, and subject to Subsections (b) |
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| 33 | 33 | | and (c), a person may not donate a body not claimed for burial or a |
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| 34 | 34 | | body required to be buried at public expense to a willed body |
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| 35 | 35 | | program of a medical or dental school, a non-transplant anatomical |
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| 36 | 36 | | donation organization, or another donee authorized by the |
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| 37 | 37 | | commission to be used for the advancement of medical or forensic |
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| 38 | 38 | | science. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) A decedent's body may be donated to an entity described |
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| 40 | 40 | | by Subsection (a) by will or other written instrument in accordance |
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| 41 | 41 | | with Section 691.028. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (c) A person who may lawfully claim a decedent's body for |
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| 43 | 43 | | burial under Section 691.024 may provide informed consent for the |
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| 44 | 44 | | body to be donated to an entity described by Subsection (a). |
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| 45 | 45 | | (d) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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| 46 | 46 | | this section. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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