HBA-MSH, JEK H.B. 2114 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2114
By: Allen
Corrections
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, there are no restrictions on who can be interred in a
cemetery in relation to others interred in the same cemetery.  Recently in
Grand Prairie, a victim of a murder-suicide was interred in a local
cemetery in close proximity to the murderer.  The proximity of these
interments has caused the member's of the victim's family a great deal of
anxiety which will continue as long as they visit the grave site.  House
Bill 2114 prohibits the burial of a murderer in the same cemetery as the
victim of that murder on request of the victim's family. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2114 amends the Health and Safety Code to prohibit an
individual, corporation, partnership, firm, trust, or association that
operates or owns a cemetery from interring the remains of an individual
convicted of murder or capital murder if the murder victim is interred in
that cemetery and the family of the victim gives written notice to the
cemetery requesting that the individual convicted of murder not be interred
in the cemetery.  The bill sets forth penalties for a violation of this
provision. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.