HB0025 Summary

• Expands entities that can hold and distribute small estate property to include financial institutions in addition to persons and corporations.

• Adds medical bills, credit card bills, and real property taxes to the list of expenses that must be paid from the estate before property distribution, along with existing burial and funeral expenses.

• Requires affidavits to include detailed explanations when a surviving spouse does not prepare the affidavit, including the reason, time, date, and circumstances; a physician's letter is required if the reason is medical incapacity.

• Requires that when there is no surviving spouse but minor children exist, the affiant must be a court-appointed guardian for at least one of the children and must attach a copy of the court order.

• Requires surviving spouses who are affidavits to affirm they were not legally or otherwise separated from the decedent at the time of death.