Tex. Health & Safety Code § 697.002 · Chapter 697. DISPOSITION OF EMBRYONIC AND FETAL TISSUE REMAINS
DEFINITIONS.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
In this chapter:
(1) "Cremation" means the irreversible process of reducing remains to bone fragments through direct flame, extreme heat, and evaporation.
(2) "Department" means the Department of State Health Services.
(3) "Embryonic and fetal tissue remains" means an embryo, a fetus, body parts, or organs from a pregnancy that terminates in the death of the embryo or fetus and for which the issuance of a fetal death certificate is not required by state law. The term does not include the umbilical cord, placenta, gestational sac, blood, or body fluids.
(4) "Executive commissioner" means the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
(5) "Incineration" means the process of burning remains in an incinerator.
(6) "Interment" means the disposition of remains by entombment, burial, or placement in a niche.
(7) "Steam disinfection" means the act of subjecting remains to steam under pressure to disinfect the remains.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 441 (S.B. 8), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2017.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.697.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 e091551e591b38991b1cc7eea7bc1f12da3a91217d24f6a8730daf9f76056fbc
- 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.