Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.109 · Subchapter C. INQUESTS BY MEDICAL EXAMINER
DEATHS REQUIRING INQUEST BY MEDICAL EXAMINER.
Not yet in force
Text of article effective on April 01, 2027
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A medical examiner, or a medical examiner's authorized deputy, shall conduct an inquest if:
(1) a person dies within 24 hours after the person is admitted to an institution or in prison or jail;
(2) a person:
(A) dies an unnatural death from a cause other than a legal execution; or
(B) dies in the absence of a good witness;
(3) the body or a body part of a person is found and either:
(A) the person is identified but the cause or circumstances of death are unknown; or
(B) the person is unidentified, regardless of whether the cause or circumstances of death are known;
(4) the circumstances of the death of a person indicate that the person may have died by unlawful means;
(5) a person dies by suicide or the circumstances of the person's death indicate that the person may have died by suicide;
(6) a person dies without having been attended by a physician, and the local health officer or registrar required to report the cause of death under Section 193.005, Health and Safety Code, does not know the cause of death;
(7) a person dies while attended by a physician who is unable to certify with certainty the cause of death as required by Section 193.004, Health and Safety Code; and
(8) the person is a child younger than six years of age and an inquest is required by Chapter 264, Family Code.
(b) When a medical examiner or an employee of the medical examiner receives notice under Article 49A.110(c) of a death of a person designated as a prospective organ donor for transplantation, the medical examiner or the medical examiner's deputy shall conduct an inquest on the person.
(c) The medical examiner, or the medical examiner's authorized deputy, shall conduct an inquest required by Subsection (a) in the county in which the medical examiner was appointed. The inquest may be conducted with or without a jury.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 202 (H.B. 1610), Sec. 1.01, eff. April 1, 2027.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.49A.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 64e76b5bb8b184d6dc83cc905c9ac307e73e36f229fe4ec44cb014635c6531fb
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Criminal Procedure
Cited by 5 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.109. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Code of Criminal Procedure
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.110REQUIRED NOTICE TO MEDICAL EXAMINER OF DEATHS.Printed as Article 49A.109(a) | Article 49A.109(a)(7)
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.112MEDICAL EXAMINER MUST AUTHORIZE REMOVAL OF BODY; EXCEPTIONS.Printed as Article 49A.109(a)
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.116UNIDENTIFIED BODY: TESTING, REPORTING, AND DISPOSITION.Printed as Article 49A.109(a)(3)(B)
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.152COUNTY SERVED BY MEDICAL EXAMINER: NOTICE AND REPORT OF DEATH OCCURRING IN INSTITUTION; OFFENSE.Printed as Article 49A.109(a)
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 49A.252RIGHT OF PARENT OF DECEASED PERSON TO VIEW PERSON'S BODY.Printed as Article 49A.053 or 49A.109
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.