| 1 | 1 | | 85R7234 LHC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Minjarez H.B. No. 1747 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation of the offense of mail theft. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 31, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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| 10 | 10 | | Section 31.19 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 31.19. MAIL THEFT. (a) In this section, "mail" means |
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| 12 | 12 | | a letter, postal card, package, bag, or other sealed article sent |
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| 13 | 13 | | through a common carrier and addressed to a person other than the |
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| 14 | 14 | | sender. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) A person commits an offense if, without the effective |
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| 16 | 16 | | consent of the applicable addressee and with the intent to deprive |
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| 17 | 17 | | that addressee of the mail, the person appropriates pieces of mail |
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| 18 | 18 | | that, in the aggregate, are addressed to at least three persons |
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| 19 | 19 | | other than the actor. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) An offense under this section is: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) a state jail felony if 10 or fewer pieces of mail |
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| 22 | 22 | | are appropriated; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) a felony of the third degree if more than 10 but |
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| 24 | 24 | | fewer than 50 pieces of mail are appropriated; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) a felony of the second degree if 50 or more pieces |
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| 26 | 26 | | of mail are appropriated. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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