Tex. Health & Safety Code § 691.025 · Subchapter B. DONATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BODIES AND ANATOMICAL SPECIMENS
PROCEDURE AFTER DEATH.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) If a body is not claimed for burial immediately after death, the body shall be embalmed within 24 hours.
(b) For 72 hours after death, the person in charge of the institution having charge or control of the body shall make due effort to find a relative of the deceased and notify the relative of the death. If the person is not able to find a relative, the person shall file with the county clerk an affidavit stating that the person has made a diligent inquiry to find a relative and stating the inquiry the person made.
(c) A body that is not claimed for burial within 48 hours after a relative receives notification shall be delivered as soon as possible to the commission or the commission's representative.
(d) A relative of the deceased may claim the body within 60 days after the body has been delivered to an institution or other entity authorized to receive the body. The body shall be released without charge.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.
Amended by:
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 961 (S.B. 2040), Sec. 1.11, eff. September 1, 2023.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.691.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 1e088f633be6cbf7443663e97e34ce92e4c94183b01a7961a55814ca1dd53fe4
- 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.