Tex. Health and Safety Code § 193.0025
This is the official text of Tex. Health and Safety Code § 193.0025, part of Texas’s Health and Safety Code — covers public health and safety regulation.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 193.0025. EXPEDITED DEATH CERTIFICATES FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES IN CERTAIN COUNTIES.
Official statutory text
(a) This section applies only to a county:
(1) with an office of medical examiner established in accordance with Section 1, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
(2) for which the commissioners court of the county by resolution elects for this section to apply.
(a) This section applies only to a county:
(1) with an office of medical examiner established in accordance with Article 49A.101, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
(2) for which the commissioners court of the county by resolution elects for this section to apply.
(b) This section does not apply to a county that entered into an agreement with another county to create a medical examiners district under Section 1-a, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, unless:
(1) the office of medical examiner is located in the county and the county has adopted a resolution described by Subsection (a)(2); or
(2) notwithstanding Subsection (a), the county elects for this section to apply in the agreement creating the district.
(b) This section does not apply to a county that entered into an agreement with another county to create a medical examiners district under Article 49A.102, Code of Criminal Procedure, unless:
(1) the office of medical examiner is located in the county and the county has adopted a resolution described by Subsection (a)(2); or
(2) notwithstanding Subsection (a), the county elects for this section to apply in the agreement creating the district.
(c) An individual may submit to the person required to file a death certificate under Section 193.002 a written request for the person to expedite the completion of a decedent's death certificate if the requestor demonstrates that:
(1) the expedited completion is necessary for religious purposes;
(2) the decedent's remains will be interred, entombed, buried, cremated, or otherwise laid to rest in a foreign country; and
(3) the requestor is authorized to obtain a copy of the death certificate.
(d) A person who receives a request under Subsection (c) shall issue a copy of the decedent's death certificate to the requestor not later than 48 hours after the time the person receives the request unless an inquest will be conducted for the decedent.
(e) For purposes of completing an expedited death certificate under this section, a medical examiner may:
(1) perform a medical examination; and
(2) complete the medical certification, provided:
(A) the medical examiner has access to the decedent's medical history relevant to the death;
(B) the decedent's death is due to natural causes; and
(C) the medical examiner serves as medical examiner of the county in which the death occurred.
(f) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section.
(1) with an office of medical examiner established in accordance with Section 1, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
(2) for which the commissioners court of the county by resolution elects for this section to apply.
(a) This section applies only to a county:
(1) with an office of medical examiner established in accordance with Article 49A.101, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
(2) for which the commissioners court of the county by resolution elects for this section to apply.
(b) This section does not apply to a county that entered into an agreement with another county to create a medical examiners district under Section 1-a, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, unless:
(1) the office of medical examiner is located in the county and the county has adopted a resolution described by Subsection (a)(2); or
(2) notwithstanding Subsection (a), the county elects for this section to apply in the agreement creating the district.
(b) This section does not apply to a county that entered into an agreement with another county to create a medical examiners district under Article 49A.102, Code of Criminal Procedure, unless:
(1) the office of medical examiner is located in the county and the county has adopted a resolution described by Subsection (a)(2); or
(2) notwithstanding Subsection (a), the county elects for this section to apply in the agreement creating the district.
(c) An individual may submit to the person required to file a death certificate under Section 193.002 a written request for the person to expedite the completion of a decedent's death certificate if the requestor demonstrates that:
(1) the expedited completion is necessary for religious purposes;
(2) the decedent's remains will be interred, entombed, buried, cremated, or otherwise laid to rest in a foreign country; and
(3) the requestor is authorized to obtain a copy of the death certificate.
(d) A person who receives a request under Subsection (c) shall issue a copy of the decedent's death certificate to the requestor not later than 48 hours after the time the person receives the request unless an inquest will be conducted for the decedent.
(e) For purposes of completing an expedited death certificate under this section, a medical examiner may:
(1) perform a medical examination; and
(2) complete the medical certification, provided:
(A) the medical examiner has access to the decedent's medical history relevant to the death;
(B) the decedent's death is due to natural causes; and
(C) the medical examiner serves as medical examiner of the county in which the death occurred.
(f) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.