H.B. No. 2589
AN ACT
relating to the prosecution of and punishment for assaulting a
disabled individual; increasing a criminal penalty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 22.021(b), Penal Code, is amended by
amending Subdivision (2) and adding Subdivision (3) to read as
follows:
(2) "Elderly individual" has [and "disabled
individual" have] the meaning [meanings] assigned by Section
22.04(c).
(3) "Disabled individual" means a person older than 13
years of age who by reason of age or physical or mental disease,
defect, or injury is substantially unable to protect the person's
self from harm or to provide food, shelter, or medical care for the
person's self.
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
governed by the law in effect on the date 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, 2015.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2589 was passed by the House on May 4,
2015, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2589 was passed by the Senate on May
26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor