Bill Text: TX SB545 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to death records maintained and provided by the vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/23 [SB545 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-SB545-Comm_Sub.html

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By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 545
(In the Senate - Filed January 23, 2023; February 17, 2023,
read first time and referred to Committee on Health & Human
Services; March 13, 2023, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 13, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to death records maintained and provided by the vital
statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 191.011 to read as follows:
Sec. 191.011. DEATH INFORMATION PROVIDED TO SECRETARY OF
STATE. (a) The department shall implement an efficient and
effective method to provide death information to the secretary of
state to assist in maintaining the statewide computerized voter
registration list under Section 18.061, Election Code.
(b) The method implemented under Subsection (a) must
provide at least the following information on each deceased person
for whom a death certificate is filed with a local registrar in this
state:
(1) the county of residence of the deceased;
(2) the date of birth of the deceased; and
(3) the full name of the deceased.
(c) The department shall enter into a memorandum of
understanding with the secretary of state to implement this
section. The memorandum of understanding must include a mechanism
for the department to provide the secretary of state with death
information that includes unique identifiers necessary to
accurately match death records with names included on the voter
registration list.
SECTION 2. Section 193.001, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
(c-1) The department shall require death certificates to
include the county where the decedent died and the decedent's
county of last legal residence.
SECTION 3. Section 16.001(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) Once each week, on a day specified by the secretary of
state, the vital statistics unit [Bureau of Vital Statistics] shall
furnish to the secretary of state available information [specified
by the secretary] relating to deceased residents of the state as
provided by Section 191.011, Health and Safety Code, in the form and
manner specified by the secretary. Periodically, the secretary
shall furnish to the appropriate voter registrars information
obtained from the unit [bureau] that will assist in identifying the
deceased registered voters of each county.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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