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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a request for a waiver of the waiting period before |
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human remains may be cremated. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 716.004, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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(b) The county medical examiner, or, in counties that do not |
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have a county medical examiner, justices of the peace, shall |
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develop and maintain a written policy for requesting a written |
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waiver of the 48-hour waiting period before cremation. In |
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developing the policy, the medical examiner or justices of the |
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peace shall consider how persons may make a request, the |
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availability to make a request on weekends or holidays, and other |
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issues relevant to processing a request as swiftly as possible. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2013. |