| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to death records maintained and provided by the vital |
|
|
statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety |
|
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 191.011 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 191.011. DEATH INFORMATION PROVIDED TO SECRETARY OF |
|
|
STATE. (a) The department shall implement an efficient and |
|
|
effective method to provide death information to the secretary of |
|
|
state to assist in maintaining the statewide computerized voter |
|
|
registration list under Section 18.061, Election Code. |
|
|
(b) The method implemented under Subsection (a) must |
|
|
provide at least the following information on each deceased person |
|
|
for whom a death certificate is filed with a local registrar in this |
|
|
state: |
|
|
(1) the county of residence of the deceased; |
|
|
(2) the date of birth of the deceased; and |
|
|
(3) the full name of the deceased. |
|
|
(c) The department shall enter into a memorandum of |
|
|
understanding with the secretary of state to implement this |
|
|
section. The memorandum of understanding must include a mechanism |
|
|
for the department to provide the secretary of state with death |
|
|
information that includes unique identifiers necessary to |
|
|
accurately match death records with names included on the voter |
|
|
registration list. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 193.001, Health and Safety Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
|
|
(c-1) The department shall require death certificates to |
|
|
include the county where the decedent died and the decedent's |
|
|
county of last legal residence. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 16.001(c), Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(c) Once each week, on a day specified by the secretary of |
|
|
state, the vital statistics unit [Bureau of Vital Statistics] shall |
|
|
furnish to the secretary of state available information [specified |
|
|
by the secretary] relating to deceased residents of the state as |
|
|
provided by Section 191.011, Health and Safety Code, in the form and |
|
|
manner specified by the secretary. Periodically, the secretary |
|
|
shall furnish to the appropriate voter registrars information |
|
|
obtained from the unit [bureau] that will assist in identifying the |
|
|
deceased registered voters of each county. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |