Tex. Health & Safety Code § 673.002 · Chapter 673. SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME
AUTOPSY.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) The death in this state of a child 12 months old or younger shall be immediately reported to the justice of the peace, medical examiner, or other proper official as prescribed by law if the child dies suddenly or is found dead and if the cause of death is unknown.
(b) The justice of the peace or medical examiner shall inform the child's legal guardian or parents that an autopsy shall be performed on the child. The state shall reimburse a county $500 for the cost of the autopsy if the primary cause of death of the child is sudden infant death syndrome. The executive commissioner shall adopt rules that:
(1) define sudden infant death syndrome; and
(2) describe the method for obtaining reimbursement for the cost of an autopsy.
(c) Reimbursement required by Subsection (b) is subject to the availability of funds.
(d) After the autopsy is completed, the child's parents or legal guardian shall be notified of the autopsy results.
(e) This section does not affect the duties of the justice of the peace or medical examiner prescribed by other laws.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 785, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1505, eff. April 2, 2015.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.673.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 c925ec7202ef860aabe0cbe1c51c17b6a4a52d9cb8de78fb55f89af9d0613835
- 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
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.