HBA-BSM H.B. 2399 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2399 By: Averitt Criminal Jurisprudence 4/12/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current Texas law, a forensic anthropologist is required to be board certified by a nationally recognized association that accredits practitioners in the forensic sciences in order to aid, upon request, a medical examiner in conducting a medical examination of the body of a deceased person. Some people feel that this requirement causes some in the field of forensic science in Texas an undue and unnecessary burden because many forensic anthropologists are not board certified. House Bill 2399 requires that a forensic anthropologist be eligible for board certification rather than board certified in order to aid medical examiners in this practice. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2399 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide that a forensic anthropologist who examines the body of a deceased person must be eligible for board certification by a nationally recognized association that accredits practitioners in the forensic sciences. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.