| 1 | 1 | | 85R13156 AJZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Klick H.B. No. 2979 |
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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 punishment for certain offenses involving parking |
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| 8 | 8 | | in a space designated for persons with disabilities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 681.011, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by amending Subsection (g) and adding Subsections (g-1) and (g-2) |
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| 12 | 12 | | to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (g) Except as provided by Subsections (g-1), (h), (i), (j), |
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| 14 | 14 | | and (k) [(h)-(k)], an offense under this section is a misdemeanor |
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| 15 | 15 | | punishable by a fine of not less than $500 or more than $750. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (g-1) In lieu of imposing a fine on conviction under |
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| 17 | 17 | | Subsection (g), the court may order a person who has not previously |
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| 18 | 18 | | been convicted of an offense under this section to: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) perform community service at a nonprofit |
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| 20 | 20 | | organization that serves persons with disabilities or persons with |
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| 21 | 21 | | disabling diseases; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) perform any community service that may sensitize |
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| 23 | 23 | | the person to the needs of and obstacles faced by persons with |
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| 24 | 24 | | disabilities; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) attend education classes on disability awareness |
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| 26 | 26 | | and accessible parking. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (g-2) The court shall set the number of hours of community |
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| 28 | 28 | | service or education classes required under Subsection (g-1). |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to |
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| 30 | 30 | | an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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| 31 | 31 | | offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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| 32 | 32 | | by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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| 33 | 33 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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| 34 | 34 | | this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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| 35 | 35 | | this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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