AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The purpose of this bill is to accommodate the religious beliefs of grieving families who wish to cremate loved ones as swiftly as possible.
C.S.S.B. 68 amends current law relating to a request for a waiver of the waiting period before human remains may be cremated.
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 Section 716.004, Health and Safety Code, by adding Subsection (b), as follows:
(b) Requires the county medical examiner, or, in counties that do not have a county medical examiner, justices of the peace, to develop and maintain a written policy for requesting a written waiver of the 48-hour waiting period before cremation. Requires the medical examiner or justices of the peace, in developing the policy, to consider how persons are authorized to make a request, the availability to make a request on weekends or holidays, and other issues relevant to processing a request as swiftly as possible.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.