The bill amends the Health and Safety Code to clarify the authority of certain individuals to donate unclaimed bodies or those required to be buried at public expense for the advancement of medical or forensic science. It modifies Section 691.023(a) by removing the requirement for the commission or its representative to allow the removal of the body for these purposes, while adding a new provision that establishes the conditions under which a body may be donated. Specifically, it introduces Section 691.0235, which outlines that a person may donate a body to a willed body program of a medical or dental school, a non-transplant anatomical donation organization, or another authorized entity, provided that the donation is made by will or written instrument and that informed consent is obtained from those who can lawfully claim the body for burial.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the commission adopt rules necessary for the implementation of these provisions. The changes aim to streamline the process of body donation for scientific purposes while ensuring that proper consent is obtained from the appropriate parties. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Health and Safety Code 691.023 (Health and Safety Code 691)