HBA-BSM S.B. 370 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 370 By: Ogden Criminal Jurisprudence 4/8/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In rural counties it is not uncommon for a person with a serious injury to be transported to another county with better medical facilities. In the event that the person dies in the second county, an autopsy may only be authorized by the justice of the peace of the second county. Under current Texas law, the cost of an autopsy can only be paid for by the county in which the person dies even if an injured person or crime victim was transported to another county for treatment. This may create a disincentive for the second county to call for an autopsy. Senate Bill 370 authorizes a prosecuting attorney to request an autopsy to be performed in the county where the death occurred, and requires the county where the original injury occurred to reimburse the cost to the county where the autopsy is performed. 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 Senate Bill 370 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide that if a person is injured in one county and dies as a result of those injuries in another county, the attorney representing the state in the prosecution of felonies in the county in which the injury occurred is authorized to request a justice of the peace in the county in which the death occurred to order an autopsy to be performed on the body of the deceased person. The bill requires the county in which the injury occurred to reimburse the county in which the death occurred if the justice of the peace orders that the autopsy be performed. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.