H.B. No. 300
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to inquest summary reports and the preservation of
  evidence collected in the course of an inquest.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 49.17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 49.17.  EVIDENCE. A justice of the peace shall preserve
  all tangible evidence that the justice accumulates in the course of
  an inquest that tends to show the real cause of death or identify
  the person who caused the death. The justice shall[:
               [(1)]  deposit the evidence with the appropriate law
  enforcement agency to be stored in the agency's property room for
  safekeeping[; or
               [(2)     deliver the evidence to the district clerk for
  safekeeping subject to the order of the court].
         SECTION 2.  Article 49.15(d), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 3.  The certified copy of an inquest summary report
  received and maintained by a district court clerk under Article
  49.15(d), Code of Criminal Procedure, as it existed immediately
  before the effective date of this Act, may be destroyed by the clerk
  in accordance with the district court's records retention schedule.
         SECTION 4.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, each district clerk in possession of evidence
  delivered to the clerk for safekeeping under Article 49.17, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, as that article existed immediately before the
  effective date of this Act, shall transfer the evidence to the
  appropriate law enforcement agency for safekeeping as provided by
  Article 49.17, Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  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, 2019.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 300 was passed by the House on May 2,
  2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 300 was passed by the Senate on May
  21, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor