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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the interment of certain cremated animal remains with |
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human remains in perpetual care cemeteries. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as Mona's Law. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 712, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 712.010 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 712.010. PET INTERMENT. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Columbarium," "grave," "interment," and |
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"memorial" have the meanings assigned by Section 711.001. |
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(2) "Cremated remains" means the bone fragments |
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remaining after the cremation process, which may include the |
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residue of any foreign materials that were cremated with the human |
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or pet remains. |
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(3) "Cremation" means the irreversible process of |
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reducing human or pet remains to bone fragments through extreme |
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heat and evaporation, which may include the processing or the |
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pulverization of bone fragments. |
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(4) "Pet" means a domesticated animal that an |
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individual owns and keeps in or near the individual's household for |
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the primary purpose of companionship. The term does not include a |
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livestock animal as defined by Section 42.09, Penal Code. |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a perpetual care |
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cemetery may allow: |
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(1) the cremated remains of a deceased individual's |
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pet to be: |
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(A) buried in the individual's casket at the time |
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of the individual's interment; |
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(B) buried in a separate grave near the |
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individual's grave at the time of the individual's interment; or |
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(C) placed beside the individual's cremated |
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remains in a columbarium; and |
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(2) information about the pet to be included on the |
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individual's memorial. |
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(c) An individual may not euthanize a pet for the purpose of |
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interring the pet with a deceased individual. |
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(d) A perpetual care cemetery may dedicate an area, separate |
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from other areas of the cemetery, as a family cemetery in which a |
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family's human and pet remains may be buried in separate graves. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Finance Commission of Texas shall adopt rules |
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necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |