SRC-JBJ S.B. 600 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 600 By: Sibley Criminal Justice 3/11/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Under current Texas law, a forensic anthropologist is required to be board-certified by a nationally recognized association that accredits practitioners in the forensic sciences in order to aid, upon request, a medical examiner in conducting a medical examination of the body of a deceased person. This requirement causes some in the field of forensic science in Texas an undue and unnecessary burden because many forensic anthropologists are not board-certified. As proposed, S.B. 600 requires that a forensic anthropologist be eligible for board certification, rather than board-certified, in order to aid medical examiners in this practice. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 49.10(n), Code of Criminal Procedure, to require that in order to assist a medical examiner a forensic anthropologist must be eligible for board certification, rather than board certified, by a nationally recognized association that accredits practitioners in the forensic sciences. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001.