86R14683 AJZ-F
By: Lang H.B. No. 4502
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to creating the criminal offenses of terrorism and
terroristic hoax.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Title 10, Penal Code, is amended by adding
Chapter 50 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 50. TERRORISM
Sec. 50.01. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "terrorist
organization" means any of the following:
(1) a domestic or foreign organization that engages or
prepares to engage in the planning, preparation, commission, or
support of an act of terrorism;
(2) a domestic or foreign organization that has the
capability and intent to engage in an act of terrorism; or
(3) an organization designated as a foreign terrorist
organization by the United States secretary of state as authorized
by 8 U.S.C. Section 1189.
Sec. 50.02. TERRORISM. (a) A person commits an offense if
the person commits one or more offenses under Section 20.03 or
engages in an act of violence that causes felony damage to property,
serious bodily injury, or death, or threatens to commit such an
offense, with the intent to:
(1) intimidate or coerce a civilian population to
further the objectives of a terrorist organization;
(2) influence the policy or conduct of the state
government by intimidation or coercion;
(3) support a broader ideological movement, including
a nonviolent movement, with the objective of overthrowing the state
government and replacing the existing form of government with a
form of government that is not based on the essential principles of
liberty; or
(4) retaliate for policy or conduct of the state
government by intimidation or coercion.
(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the first
degree.
Sec. 50.03. TERRORISTIC HOAX. (a) A person commits an
offense if the person knowingly simulates an offense under Section
50.02 as a prank and:
(1) intentionally uses a substance to cause fear,
intimidation, or anxiety in a person and to cause a reasonable
belief by the person that the substance is placed, sent, delivered,
or otherwise used as an act of biochemical or radiological
terrorism requiring an emergency response or the evacuation or
quarantine of a person, place, or item; or
(2) commits or threatens to commit an act of violence,
sabotage, felony damage to property, or serious bodily injury with
the intent to cause fear, intimidation, or anxiety in a person and a
reasonable belief by the person that the act or threat is an act of
terrorism to disrupt any place, population, or business in this
state or to disrupt the state government.
(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the first
degree.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply 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 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 occurred before that date.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.