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