A deceased person shall be considered to be an indigent for purposes of Chapter 24, Article 13 NMSA 1978 if his estate is insufficient to cover the cost of burial or cremation.
History: Laws 1939, ch. 224, § 2; 1941 Comp., § 73-205; 1953 Comp., § 13-2-5; Laws 1999, ch. 241, § 5.
The 1999 amendment, effective June 18, 1999, added the catchline; and rewrote the section, which formerly read "No deceased person shall be considered to be an indigent if there are any sums, no matter how small, with which to defray the cost of such burial".
Structure New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 24 - Health and Safety
Article 13 - Burial of Indigents
Section 24-13-1 - Burial or cremation of unclaimed decedents and of indigents.
Section 24-13-2 - Persons deemed indigent.
Section 24-13-3 - Expenses for burial or cremation.
Section 24-13-4 - Burial after investigation; cost of opening and closing grave.
Section 24-13-5 - Payment of burial or cremation expenses; commissioners' liability.
Section 24-13-6 - Money from relatives; duty of funeral director.
Section 24-13-7 - Failure to notify; funeral director's liability.
Section 24-13-8 - [District attorneys to enforce burial act.]