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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state assistance to certain counties for indigent |
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burial costs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 694, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 694.004 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 694.004. STATE ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN ELIGIBLE |
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COUNTIES. (a) In this section, "department" means the Department |
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of State Health Services. |
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(b) This section applies only to a county that is adjacent |
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to the Gulf of Mexico and an international border. |
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(c) The department may distribute funds as provided by this |
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section to an eligible county to assist the county in providing for |
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the disposition of the body of a deceased pauper under this chapter. |
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(d) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall adopt rules governing the application |
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procedures and the eligibility requirements for assistance under |
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this section. The procedures must provide that the department |
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shall make a determination with respect to an application for |
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assistance not later than the 90th day after the date the |
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application is submitted to the department in accordance with the |
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procedures established by the department. |
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(e) The department shall provide assistance to a county that |
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applies for assistance if the department determines that the county |
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meets the department's eligibility requirements adopted under this |
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section. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2015, the |
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executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission |
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shall adopt the rules necessary to implement Section 694.004, |
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Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Section 694.004, Health and Safety Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to an application for assistance submitted |
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by a county for approval on or after January 1, 2016. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |