H.B. No. 2357

	AN ACT
	relating to an exception from required disclosure of information
	related to certain crime victims and the release to certain
	entities of autopsy reports of deceased persons.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 11, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal
	Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(c)  The medical examiner may release a copy of an autopsy
	report of a deceased person to any organ and tissue procurement
	organization, hospital, or other covered entity as defined by
	Section 181.001, Health and Safety Code, that treated the deceased
	person before death or procured any anatomical gift from the body of
	the deceased person. The release of a report under this subsection
	is not considered a disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.
	A report obtained under this subsection is confidential and not
	subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 552, Government Code, is
	amended by adding Section 552.1315 to read as follows:
	Sec. 552.1315.  EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN CRIME
	VICTIM RECORDS. (a) Information is confidential and excepted from
	the requirements of Section 552.021 if the information identifies
	an individual as:
	(1)  a victim of:
	(A)  an offense under Section 20A.02, 20A.03,
	21.02, 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, 43.05, or 43.25, Penal Code; or
	(B)  an offense that is part of the same criminal
	episode, as defined by Section 3.01, Penal Code, as an offense
	described by Paragraph (A); or
	(2)  a victim of any criminal offense, if the victim was
	younger than 18 years of age when any element of the offense was
	committed.
	(b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), information under this
	section may be disclosed:
	(1)  to any victim identified by the information, or to
	the parent or guardian of a victim described by Subsection (a)(2)
	who is identified by the information;
	(2)  to a law enforcement agency for investigative
	purposes; or
	(3)  in accordance with a court order requiring the
	disclosure.
	SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies to a
	request for information that is received by a governmental body or
	an officer for public information on or after the effective date of
	this Act.  A request for information that was received before the
	effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
	date the request was received, and the former law is continued in
	effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 2357 was passed by the House on May
	11, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 135, Nays 8, 2 present, not
	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
	No. 2357 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0,
	1 present, not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 2357 was passed by the Senate, with
	amendments, on May 26, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
	0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor