By Chavez H.B. No. 1997
77R4252 YDB-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the protection of certain unmarked burials and
1-3 associated human remains or funerary objects and to the creation of
1-4 certain offenses concerning unmarked burials; providing criminal
1-5 penalties.
1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-7 SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding
1-8 Section 42.13 to read as follows:
1-9 Sec. 42.13. DISTURBING AN UNMARKED BURIAL. (a) In this
1-10 section:
1-11 (1) "Disturb" means to remove, damage, or otherwise
1-12 alter or deface human remains or funerary objects of an unmarked
1-13 burial.
1-14 (2) "Funerary object" means an object buried with a
1-15 person, including items of personal adornment, stone, bone and
1-16 shell tools, pottery and stone vessels and pipes, and any casket
1-17 and casket hardware. The term includes objects that are part of a
1-18 death rite or ceremony of a culture and are placed with individual
1-19 human remains.
1-20 (3) "Human remains" means the physical remains of a
1-21 human body, including bone, hair, teeth, mummified flesh, and ash.
1-22 (4) "Unmarked burial" means any human skeletal remains
1-23 or associated funerary objects or any location where human remains
1-24 or associated funerary objects are discovered or are reasonably
2-1 likely to exist on the basis of archeological or historical
2-2 evidence but to which Subtitle C, Title 8, Health and Safety Code,
2-3 does not apply.
2-4 (b) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally
2-5 or knowingly:
2-6 (1) disturbs human remains or funerary objects from an
2-7 unmarked burial; or
2-8 (2) buys, sells, or barters human remains or funerary
2-9 objects.
2-10 (c) A person commits an offense if the person knows that a
2-11 burial is being disturbed and the person intentionally or knowingly
2-12 fails to notify either:
2-13 (1) the sheriff of the county in which the unmarked
2-14 burial is located; or
2-15 (2) the state archeologist.
2-16 (d) An offense under Subsection (b) is a state jail felony
2-17 unless it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant
2-18 has been previously convicted of an offense under Subsection (b),
2-19 in which event the offense is a felony of the third degree. An
2-20 offense under Subsection (c) is a Class B misdemeanor unless it is
2-21 shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant has been
2-22 previously convicted of an offense under Subsection (c), in which
2-23 event the offense is a Class A misdemeanor.
2-24 (e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution for an
2-25 alleged violation of this section that the human remains or
2-26 funerary objects were recovered under:
2-27 (1) Chapter 191, Natural Resources Code;
3-1 (2) the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C.
3-2 Section 470 et seq.);
3-3 (3) 36 C.F.R. Part 800;
3-4 (4) any other applicable federal or state law, rule,
3-5 or order, including:
3-6 (A) Executive Order 11593 (36 Fed. Reg. 8921);
3-7 (B) the Archaeological Resources Protection Act
3-8 of 1979 (16 U.S.C. Section 470aa et seq.);
3-9 (C) Section 192.002, Natural Resources Code; or
3-10 (D) the Native American Graves Protection and
3-11 Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. Section 3001 et seq.); or
3-12 (5) the lawful authority of the state archeologist.
3-13 (f) At the termination of a criminal prosecution of a
3-14 defendant under this section, if the custodial rights of the
3-15 remains cannot be established to the satisfaction of the presiding
3-16 judge, the state retains jurisdiction as provided by Chapter 192,
3-17 Natural Resources Code, over any human remains or funerary objects
3-18 associated with the offense.
3-19 SECTION 2. Title 9, Natural Resources Code, is amended by
3-20 adding Chapter 192 to read as follows:
3-21 CHAPTER 192. DISCOVERY OF UNMARKED BURIALS
3-22 Sec. 192.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
3-23 (1) "Commission" means the Texas Historical
3-24 Commission.
3-25 (2) "Disturb" means to remove, damage, or otherwise
3-26 alter or deface human remains or funerary objects of an unmarked
3-27 grave.
4-1 (3) "Funerary object" means an object buried with a
4-2 person, including items of personal adornment, stone, bone and
4-3 shell tools, pottery and stone vessels and pipes, and any casket
4-4 and casket hardware. The term includes objects that are part of a
4-5 death rite or ceremony of a culture and are placed with individual
4-6 human remains.
4-7 (4) "Human remains" means the physical remains of a
4-8 human body, including bone, hair, teeth, mummified flesh, and ash.
4-9 (5) "Medical examiner" means a person appointed under
4-10 Section 2, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure.
4-11 (6) "Native American culture" means a tribe, band,
4-12 nation, people, or culture that is indigenous to the United States.
4-13 (7) "Native American remains" means human remains of
4-14 or relating to Native American culture.
4-15 (8) "Professional archeologist" means a person:
4-16 (A) registered in the Register of Professional
4-17 Archaeologists; or
4-18 (B) meeting the qualifications for archeology in
4-19 the Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology
4-20 and Historic Preservation.
4-21 (9) "State archeologist" means the person employed by
4-22 the Texas Historical Commission under Section 442.007, Government
4-23 Code.
4-24 (10) "Unmarked burial" means any human skeletal
4-25 remains or associated funerary objects or any location where human
4-26 remains or associated funerary objects are discovered or are
4-27 reasonably likely to exist on the basis of archeological or
5-1 historical evidence but to which Subtitle C, Title 8, Health and
5-2 Safety Code, does not apply.
5-3 Sec. 192.002. DISCOVERY OF UNMARKED BURIALS. (a) A person
5-4 who discovers an unmarked burial in, partially in, or on the ground
5-5 shall immediately stop any activity that may disturb the burial and
5-6 shall report the presence and location of the burial to the sheriff
5-7 of the county in which the burial is located or to the state
5-8 archeologist. Activity that will not disturb the burial site may
5-9 continue.
5-10 (b) The person who discovers an unmarked burial shall
5-11 immediately take all reasonable steps to secure and maintain its
5-12 preservation. If it is necessary to move an object before
5-13 completion of disposition as prescribed by Section 192.005 to
5-14 permit the continuation of work on a construction project or
5-15 similar project, the state archeologist or sheriff shall supervise
5-16 the move and require the move be accomplished in the manner that
5-17 will least disturb and best preserve the object before construction
5-18 can recommence.
5-19 (c) If human remains are discovered and the state
5-20 archeologist or a professional archeologist determines further
5-21 human remains are unlikely to be present, the steps to be taken
5-22 under Subsection (b) extend to soil immediately surrounding the
5-23 burial and to funerary objects, sacred ceremonial objects, or
5-24 objects of national or tribal patrimony that are discovered along
5-25 with the human remains.
5-26 (d) The sheriff or the state archeologist to whom an
5-27 unmarked burial is reported under this section shall keep the
6-1 location of the unmarked burial confidential except as provided by
6-2 this chapter. The location of the site is confidential, may not be
6-3 disclosed in any public document, and is not considered to be
6-4 public information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code.
6-5 Sec. 192.003. FAILURE TO REPORT; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A
6-6 person commits an offense if the person observes human remains,
6-7 knows or reasonably should know that the county sheriff or the
6-8 state archeologist is not aware of the existence of or location of
6-9 the remains, and fails to report the existence of and location of
6-10 the remains to the county sheriff or the state archeologist.
6-11 (b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor
6-12 unless it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant
6-13 has been previously convicted of an offense under this section, in
6-14 which event the offense is a state jail felony.
6-15 Sec. 192.004. DISTURBANCE OF BURIAL; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a)
6-16 A person commits an offense if the person disturbs or permits
6-17 disturbance of an unmarked human burial with the intent to
6-18 unlawfully appropriate human remains or funerary objects. A person
6-19 found in actual or constructive possession of human remains or
6-20 funerary objects more than 50 feet from the burial is presumed to
6-21 intend to appropriate the remains or objects unless the possession
6-22 is pursuant to Section 192.002(b).
6-23 (b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony
6-24 unless it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant
6-25 has been previously convicted of an offense under this section, in
6-26 which event the offense is a felony of the third degree.
6-27 Sec. 192.005. DISPOSITION OF REMAINS. (a) If there is
7-1 reason to believe a site may contain human remains, the law
7-2 enforcement officer or state archeologist shall immediately notify
7-3 the landowner and the appropriate medical examiner. If the remains
7-4 reported under this section are associated with or suspected of
7-5 association with any crime, the medical examiner shall, within five
7-6 business days, inform the landowner and the person whose activities
7-7 resulted in discovery of the site as to the nature and duration of
7-8 any additional measures needed to protect the site.
7-9 (b) If remains reported under this section are not
7-10 associated with or suspected of association with any crime, the
7-11 state archeologist shall be notified by the medical examiner within
7-12 five business days. The state archeologist shall inform the
7-13 landowner and the person whose activities resulted in discovery of
7-14 the site as to the nature and duration of any additional measures
7-15 needed to protect the site as soon as reasonably practicable, but
7-16 not later than the fifth business day after the date the state
7-17 archeologist receives notice under this subsection.
7-18 (c) If review by the state archeologist of the human remains
7-19 or any funerary objects suggests or demonstrates a direct
7-20 historical relationship of the remains to a Native American
7-21 culture, the state archeologist shall:
7-22 (1) notify the appropriate Native American leaders;
7-23 and
7-24 (2) consult with the appropriate Native American
7-25 leaders regarding any proposed treatment or scientific studies and
7-26 final disposition of the remains.
7-27 (d) All Native American burial remains and associated
8-1 funerary objects not claimed for reburial by the applicable Native
8-2 American culture shall be placed for curation purposes by the state
8-3 archeologist with an institution or state or local government
8-4 agency, including an institution of higher learning that receives
8-5 federal funds. In other cases, where the burial remains and
8-6 associated funerary objects are not directly related to a Native
8-7 American culture, the state archeologist shall determine the racial
8-8 or ethnic group of the remains. The state archeologist shall
8-9 contact any descendants associated with the remains. If the
8-10 descendants cannot be located, the state archeologist shall consult
8-11 community leaders from the appropriate racial or ethnic group
8-12 concerning the disposition of the remains. If the remains are not
8-13 claimed for repatriation by the consulted entity, the state
8-14 archeologist shall designate an appropriate repository for curation
8-15 or reinterment of the remains.
8-16 (e) Unmarked burials and funerary objects discovered by
8-17 professional archeologists during the performance of their official
8-18 duties shall be reported to the state archeologist within three
8-19 business days of the discovery. Not later than 15 business days
8-20 after notification to the state archeologist, the professional
8-21 archeologist shall report to the state archeologist concerning the
8-22 cultural and biological characteristics of the burial and shall
8-23 recommend temporary disposition of the remains for purposes of
8-24 analysis in accordance with this chapter.
8-25 Sec. 192.006. EXCAVATION NOT REQUIRED. This chapter does
8-26 not require excavation of an unmarked human burial unless
8-27 excavation is necessary to prevent destruction of the remains or
9-1 associated funerary objects.
9-2 Sec. 192.007. INVOLVEMENT OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERS. (a)
9-3 Within three business days after the state archeologist is notified
9-4 that human remains or funerary objects have been disturbed on
9-5 private land, the state archeologist shall notify the landowner.
9-6 At the request of the landowner, the state archeologist shall
9-7 consult with the landowner about the proposed treatment and
9-8 disposition of the human remains and funerary objects. A landowner
9-9 receives no additional rights to the human remains or funerary
9-10 objects solely because the landowner consults with the state
9-11 archeologist.
9-12 (b) The location of human remains or funerary objects does
9-13 not allow public access on the private property controlled by the
9-14 landowner.
9-15 Sec. 192.008. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO PROSECUTION. It is an
9-16 affirmative defense to prosecution for an alleged violation of
9-17 Section 192.004 that:
9-18 (1) the person:
9-19 (A) is the landowner or the landowner's agent,
9-20 employee, easement holder, or tenant and the disturbance of the
9-21 unmarked burial or funerary objects occurred accidentally in the
9-22 course of legitimate activity; and
9-23 (B) has no intention of further disturbing or
9-24 permitting the disturbance of an unmarked burial or funerary
9-25 objects; or
9-26 (2) the person was a law enforcement officer, a
9-27 medical examiner, a professional archeologist, a person working
10-1 under the lawful authority of the state archeologist, or another
10-2 official performing a duty imposed by law, and the disturbance of
10-3 the unmarked burial or funerary objects occurred in the performance
10-4 of the person's official duty.
10-5 Sec. 192.009. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The Texas Historical
10-6 Commission by rule shall establish procedures to implement this
10-7 chapter.
10-8 SECTION 3. (a) Section 42.13, Penal Code, as added by this
10-9 Act, and Sections 192.003 and 192.004, Natural Resources Code, as
10-10 added by this Act, apply only to an offense committed on or after
10-11 the effective date of this Act. For purposes of this section, an
10-12 offense is committed before the effective date of this Act if any
10-13 element of the offense occurs before that date.
10-14 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
10-15 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
10-16 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
10-17 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.