SRC-TJG S.B. 356 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 356 By: Janek Criminal Justice 4/7/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, a justice of the peace is only required to conduct an inquest into a person's death when a person's body is found, the cause or circumstances of death are unknown, and the body is either identified or unidentified. As proposed, S.B. 356 requires an inquest into a person's death when a body part is found, in addition to the other circumstances. 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 Subsection (a), Article 49.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, to require an inquest into a person's death when a body part is found, in addition to other circumstances in which an in inquest is required. Replaces existing text "body" with "person" related to conducting an inquest into a person's death. SECTION 2. Amends Subsections (a), (b), and (c), Article 49.07, Code of Criminal Procedure, to make conforming changes related to an inquest when a body part is found. SECTION 3. Amends Article 49.09(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, to make conforming changes related to an inquest when a body part is found. SECTION 4. Amends Article 49.10(n), Code of Criminal Procedure, to make conforming changes related to an inquest when a body part is found. SECTION 5. Amends Article 49.22(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, to make conforming changes related to an inquest when a body part is found. SECTION 6. Amends Section 6(a), Article 49.25, code of Criminal Procedure, to make conforming changes related to an inquest when a body part is found and replacing existing text "body" with "person." SECTION 7. Amends Section 13, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, to make conforming changes related to an inquest when a body part is found. SECTION 8. Effective date: September 1, 2003. SECTION 9. Makes application of this Act prospective.