By Hudson                                             H.B. No. 2274
       74R7006 CAG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the release or transfer of a dead human body from one
    1-3  funeral establishment to another funeral establishment.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 251, Acts of the 53rd Legislature,
    1-6  Regular Session, 1953 (Article 4582b, Vernon's Texas Civil
    1-7  Statutes), is amended by adding Section 4A to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 4A.  RELEASE OF BODY.  (a) A funeral establishment that
    1-9  was permitted or authorized to provide funeral services for a
   1-10  deceased person may refuse to surrender the dead human body to
   1-11  another person or agent authorized to make funeral arrangements for
   1-12  the deceased person if the person or agent authorized to make
   1-13  funeral arrangements has failed to pay any costs incurred by the
   1-14  funeral establishment in the care and preparation for burial or
   1-15  transportation of the dead human body.
   1-16        (b)  A refusal by a funeral establishment to release a dead
   1-17  human body under Subsection (a) is not a violation of this Act.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-19        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-20  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-21  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-22  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-23  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.