5 days ago
Texas medical examiner expansion bill misses midnight House approval, but interim proposal could revive it
This story is part of KXAN's 'A Hanging on Backbone Creek' Catalyst investigation, launched November 18, 2024. As Texas' population grows, critics point to the need for more medical examiners in death investigations, instead of the state relying so heavily on its current process in most counties, where an elected justice of the peace — already assigned many court-related duties — also has the power to determine cause and manner of death with scant training and often without autopsies or forensic expertise. During our reporting, Texas lawmakers resumed efforts to modernize that antiquated system, as a nearly-forgotten mystery resurfaced with a fresh review of a young girl's strangulation case.
AUSTIN (KXAN) – A proposal aimed at establishing more medical examiner offices sooner in Texas died amid a flurry of bills considered on the House floor late Tuesday night, though the lawmaker who carried Senate Bill 1370 in the lower chamber plans to keep the topic alive ahead of the next legislative session in 2027.
'I think we should have an interim charge to look at this issue to bring more medical examiners to the state,' Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, told KXAN earlier this month. Anchia also filed an identical House companion to SB 1370, which did not progress this session.
The idea for the interim charge came after Anchia fielded questions during a House subcommittee hearing about the availability of physicians with forensic science training who could fill the state's need for medical examiners. Experts have said there is a shortage of such doctors actively practicing, with the National Association of Medical Examiners recently telling KXAN the number was around 750 nationwide.
Explore 'A Hanging on Backbone Creek,' the project that sparked SB 1370
'We just need more people who are specialized in this work, and creating an incentive program makes total sense,' Anchia said.
Texas has 254 counties. Medical examiner offices are used in 14 of them to investigate and certify the cause and manner of unexpected deaths, and conduct autopsies. The state has one medical examiner district based around Tarrant County. The remaining counties use elected justices of the peace to investigate and certify deaths, and determine if a body may need to be sent for an autopsy — usually through a contract with another another county or private entity.
Justices of the peace are elected, hold numerous other court-related duties and have no required prerequisite medical or death investigation experience. KXAN has reported extensively on challenges with the justice of the peace death investigation system.
Medical examiner office advocates have argued these government offices – led by appointed medical doctors – provide a higher level of expertise and public service. Currently, counties are only statutorily required to have medical examiner offices when their population hits 2.5 million. SB 1370 aimed to decrease the benchmark to 1 million.
This map shows which Texas counties have medical examiners and which rely on justices of the peace for death investigations. Source: Various Texas Counties/Arezow Doost (KXAN Interactive/David Barer)
There are three Texas counties – Hays, Hidalgo and Williamson – that do not currently have medical examiner offices but are projected to have populations over 1 million by 2060, according to the Texas Demographic Center. Williamson County is already making preparations to build a medical examiner office before hitting the 1 million population level.
Trio of bills aim to strengthen Texas death investigations
The measure also would have clarified that counties can implement a medical examiner office before reaching 1 million people. Additionally, counties that share borders can pool resources to form a medical examiner district.
'By expanding the pool of counties required or able to create an office or a district, S.B. 1370 aims to strengthen investigative capacity statewide, enhance public health and safety, and improve the consistency and reliability of death investigations,' the bill's author, Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, said in its statement of intent.
KXAN reached out to Parker's office for comment following the bill stalling in the House but has not received a response.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
