Government Code §501.055

(a) If an inmate dies while in the custody of the department, an employee of the facility who is in charge of the inmate shall immediately notify the nearest justice of the peace serving in the county in which the inmate died and the office of inspector general. The justice shall personally inspect the body and make an inquiry as to the cause of death. The justice shall make written copies of evidence taken during the inquest, and give one copy to the director and one copy to a district judge serving in the county in which the inmate died. The judge shall provide the copy to the grand jury and, if the judge determines the evidence indicates wrongdoing, instruct the grand jury to thoroughly investigate the cause of death. (b) Subsection (a) does not apply if the inmate: (1) dies of natural causes while attended by a physician or a registered nurse; or (2) is lawfully executed. (c) If an inmate dies as described by Subsection (b)(1), the department or an authorized official of the department shall immediately attempt to notify the next of kin of the inmate that the inmate has died, state the time of the inmate's death, and inform the next of kin that unless the next of kin objects to the department within eight hours of the stated time of death, an autopsy will be conducted on the inmate.