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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the release of veteran autopsy reports to the United |
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States Department of Veterans Affairs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 671, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 671.014 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 671.014. VETERAN AUTOPSY REPORTS. (a) In this section, |
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"veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section 2308.251, Government |
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Code. |
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(b) The office designated by an autopsy order shall maintain |
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an autopsy report filed with the office for each deceased person for |
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whom there is a reasonable likelihood the person was a veteran until |
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a copy of the autopsy report is released to the United States |
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Department of Veterans Affairs. |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a representative |
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of the office designated by the autopsy order shall release on |
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request a deceased veteran's autopsy report that includes the time, |
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place, and cause of death, if known, to the United States Department |
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of Veterans Affairs not later than the 15th business day after the |
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date the office receives the request from the department. |
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(d) If an autopsy report has not been filed as required by |
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Section 671.012, a representative of the office designated by the |
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autopsy order shall, not later than the 10th business day after the |
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date of a request received under Subsection (c), notify the United |
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States Department of Veterans Affairs that the autopsy report has |
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not been filed and the date, to the best of the knowledge of the |
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representative, that the department may anticipate receiving the |
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report. |
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(e) A representative of the office designated by the autopsy |
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order may notify the United States Department of Veterans Affairs |
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of the availability of the autopsy report if there is a reasonable |
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likelihood that the deceased person was a veteran and a request for |
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the autopsy report has not been submitted to the office by the |
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department. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |