Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Berlanga                                     H.B. No. 2845

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority to re-open an inquest.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Article 49.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (a)  A justice of the peace conducting an inquest may act on

 1-7     information the justice receives from any credible person or on

 1-8     facts within his knowledge.

 1-9           (b)  A justice of the peace may re-open an inquest at any

1-10     time if the justice receives information from any credible person

1-11     or on facts within his knowledge if the justice determines that

1-12     additional information may change the cause or manner of death.

1-13           SECTION 2.  An inquest held before the effective date of this

1-14     Act is covered by the law in effect when the inquest was held.

1-15           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-16           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-18     emergency and is of imperative public necessity that the

1-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-20     days in each house be suspended, and thereby this rule is hereby

1-21     suspended.