By Grusendorf H.B. No. 1571 76R4716 DLF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the appearance of the name of a surviving spouse on a 1-3 grave marker. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 714, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Section 714.005 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 714.005. NAME OF SURVIVING SPOUSE ON GRAVE MARKER. (a) 1-8 Notwithstanding any other law, a surviving spouse may direct that 1-9 the name of the surviving spouse and the status of the surviving 1-10 spouse as husband or wife appear on the grave marker of the 1-11 deceased spouse. This section applies only to a surviving spouse: 1-12 (1) to whom the deceased spouse was married at death; 1-13 and 1-14 (2) who pays: 1-15 (A) at least 20 percent of the costs of 1-16 interment of the deceased spouse, including any associated funeral 1-17 costs, other than the costs of the burial plot and grave marker; 1-18 and 1-19 (B) any additional cost incurred as a result of 1-20 including this information on the grave marker. 1-21 (b) A person who owns the rights to the burial plot may 1-22 specify the style of writing in which this information appears on 1-23 the grave marker and may require that this information be included 1-24 on the grave marker in a manner that does not detract from other 2-1 elements included on the grave marker. 2-2 (c) This section applies without regard to who owns the 2-3 rights to the burial plot or who pays for the burial plot or grave 2-4 marker. 2-5 (d) This section does not apply if the deceased spouse, in a 2-6 will or other written document, specifies what is to appear on the 2-7 grave marker or specifies that a person other than the surviving 2-8 spouse is to select or erect a grave marker. 2-9 SECTION 2. This Act applies to a grave marker erected 2-10 before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. 2-11 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-17 passage, and it is so enacted.