81R5790 GCB-D
By: Laubenberg H.B. No. 1704
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the punishment of the offense of cruelty to animals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 42.092(c), Penal Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) An offense under Subsection (b)(3), (4), (5), (6), or
(9) is a Class A misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state
jail felony if the person has previously been convicted one or more
[two] times under this section or one or more [, two] times under
Section 42.09[, or one time under this section and one time under
Section 42.09]. An offense under Subsection (b)(1), (2), (7), or
(8) is a state jail felony, except that the offense is a felony of
the third degree if the person has previously been convicted one or
more [two] times under this section or one or more [, two] times
under Section 42.09[, or one time under this section and one time
under Section 42.09].
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of
this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of
this Act if any element of the offense was committed before that
date.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.