Hunt County adopts indigent decedent disposition policy and cremation eligibility guidelines

Hunt County Commissioners Court adopted a set of documents June 10 that formalize how the county handles disposition of deceased indigent persons, including a cremation‑eligibility policy and an associated acknowledgment and order.

County Attorney Daniel presented the package after executive session and explained the action would replace an older policy that county staff said had not been reviewed in many years. Daniel said the set includes a primary policy titled “deceased indigent disposition policy,” an acknowledgment and order to record disposition decisions, and a Hunt County indigent cremation eligibility policy.

Daniel told the court the policies and an accompanying request for proposals (RFP) would address recurring operational problems the county has faced because the older policy is outdated. He asked the court to adopt the three documents and to release the RFP discussed at an earlier session.

The court approved the motion to adopt the policies and to proceed with the RFP. Judge Stovall called for a voice vote after the executive session presentation; commissioners voted in favor.

The new documents are intended to standardize decision points and vendor selection for disposition and cremation of indigent decedents and to put a transparent ordering and acknowledgment process in place for county staff and families.

County staff said the adoption and the RFP should reduce delays and uncertainty in cases where next of kin are not present or where the county must determine eligibility for county‑funded disposition services.

The court recorded the adoption in the public minutes; staff were directed to move forward with issuing the RFP and implementing the new forms.