1. (a) A county clerk, district clerk, or other public official on request shall furnish without cost to a person or the person's guardian, dependent, or heir one or more certified copies of a document that is in the custody of or on file in the county clerk's, district clerk's, or other public official's office if:

   1. (1) the person or the person's guardian, dependent, or heir is eligible to make a claim against the United States government because of service in the United States armed forces or an auxiliary service, including the maritime service or the merchant marine; and
   2. (2) the document is necessary to prove the claim.
2. (b) The issuance of a certified copy under this section may not be considered in determining the maximum fee of the office.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.