Bill Text: TX HB3294 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to reimbursing a commissioners court for the reasonable cost of transporting a body for the purpose of an autopsy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-18 - Left pending in committee [HB3294 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3294-Introduced.html
86R13050 AJZ-D | ||
By: Raymond | H.B. No. 3294 |
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relating to reimbursing a commissioners court for the reasonable | ||
cost of transporting a body for the purpose of an autopsy. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Article 49.10, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
amended by adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows: | ||
(h-1) A commissioners court that pays a fee to transport a | ||
body to or from a place where an autopsy can be performed under this | ||
article may seek reimbursement for the reasonable costs of the | ||
transportation as provided by this subsection. On application to | ||
the attorney general, the commissioners court may be reimbursed | ||
from the compensation to victims of crime fund if the physician | ||
performing the autopsy determines the death was caused by unlawful | ||
means. On application to the attorney representing the state or the | ||
head of a law enforcement agency, a commissioners court may be | ||
reimbursed from civil asset forfeiture proceeds as provided by | ||
Article 59.06(t), regardless of the circumstances of the death. | ||
The commissioners court may not be reimbursed from more than one | ||
source under this subsection. | ||
SECTION 2. Article 56.54(k), Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(k) The attorney general may use the compensation to victims | ||
of crime fund to: | ||
(1) reimburse a law enforcement agency for the | ||
reasonable costs of a forensic medical examination that are | ||
incurred by the agency under Article 56.06 or 56.065; [ |
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(2) make a payment to or on behalf of an individual for | ||
the reasonable costs incurred for medical care provided under | ||
Article 56.06 or 56.065 in accordance with Section 323.004, Health | ||
and Safety Code; and | ||
(3) as provided by Article 49.10, reimburse a | ||
commissioners court for the reasonable cost of transporting a body | ||
for the purpose of an autopsy. | ||
SECTION 3. Article 59.06, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
amended by adding Subsection (t) to read as follows: | ||
(t) As a specific exception to Subsection (c) that the funds | ||
described by that subsection be used only for the official purposes | ||
of the attorney representing the state or for law enforcement | ||
purposes, the attorney representing the state or the head of a law | ||
enforcement agency, as applicable, may use any portion of the gross | ||
amount credited to the attorney's or agency's special fund under | ||
Subsection (c) to reimburse a commissioners court for the | ||
reasonable cost of transporting a body for the purpose of an | ||
autopsy. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |