The core program is optional. The only firm duty, writing rules, applies only if the commission chooses to create the program, though the bill does create a real account.
A dedicated account for county burial and cremation grants. The program itself is optional.
The bill lets the Health and Human Services Commission set up a grant program that pays counties to help cover the cost of burying or cremating people who die without money, along with related county administrative costs. It also creates a dedicated state account to fund those grants, filled by legislative appropriations, donations, and interest. Nothing changes on the ground unless the commission chooses to create the program and the Legislature puts money in the account, because the bill only says the commission "may" do so.
Labels
Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the Senate Health & Human Services committee 7-2 on Apr 10, 2025. Taken up on the floor on Apr 16, 2025 and passed to engrossment, with no final vote. The bill died.
relating to the establishment of a grant program to support the
disposition of deceased paupers' bodies.
WHAT IT DOES
A dedicated account for county burial and cremation grants. The program itself is optional.
The bill lets the Health and Human Services Commission set up a grant program that pays counties to help cover the cost of burying or cremating people who die without money, along with related county administrative costs. It also creates a dedicated state account to fund those grants, filled by legislative appropriations, donations, and interest. Nothing changes on the ground unless the commission chooses to create the program and the Legislature puts money in the account, because the bill only says the commission "may" do so.
The core program is optional. The only firm duty, writing rules, applies only if the commission chooses to create the program, though the bill does create a real account.
TOTAL
No first-year general revenue figure available here.
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the unknown cost related to the grant funding needs required to develop the deceased paupers grant program.
LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.
Senator Blanco moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 2023 at this time on its second reading: SB 2023, Relating to the establishment of a grant program to support the disposition of deceased paupers' bodies. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 8.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 23 (published)
Nay: 8 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses9
For
8
Against
0
On
1
Names
For
County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas1 registration
Dallas County1 registration
El Paso County1 registration
Harris County Commissioners Court1 registration
Parmer County1 registration
Self1 registration
Texas Judges and Commissioners Association1 registration
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops1 registration
On
Health and Human Services Commission1 registration
Sources
9 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the unknown cost related to the grant funding needs required to develop the deceased paupers grant program.
LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.
Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
89R13724 EAS-D
By: Blanco
S.B. No. 2023
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of a grant program to support the
disposition of deceased paupers' bodies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 694, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Section 694.004 to read as follows:
Sec. 694.004. DECEASED PAUPERS GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The
Health and Human Services Commission may develop a deceased paupers
grant program to award grants from the deceased paupers grant
account established by this section to counties for the purpose of
paying certain costs associated with the disposition of deceased
paupers' bodies in accordance with Section 694.002.
(b) The Health and Human Services Commission may award a
grant under the grant program to a county to be used for:
(1) paying the costs incurred in disposing of deceased
paupers' bodies in accordance with Section 694.002; and
(2) administering the county's body disposition
activities.
(c) The deceased paupers grant account is a dedicated
account in the general revenue fund and consists of:
(1) appropriations of money to the account by the
legislature;
(2) gifts, grants, and other donations received for
the account; and
(3) interest earned on the investment of money in the
account.
(d) Money in the deceased paupers grant account may be used
by the Health and Human Services Commission only to:
(1) award grants under this section; and
(2) administer the deceased paupers grant program
under this section.
(e) If the Health and Human Services Commission develops a
deceased paupers grant program under this section, the executive
commissioner shall adopt rules for the administration of that
program.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring 
