Texas 2023 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB28 Introduced / Bill

Filed 11/14/2022

                    88R29 TSS-F
 By: Slawson H.B. No. 28


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to enhancing the punishment for certain conduct
 constituting the criminal offense of aggravated assault.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Todd-Hogland Act.
 SECTION 2.  Section 22.02(b), Penal Code, is amended to read
 as follows:
 (b)  An offense under this section is a felony of the second
 degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if:
 (1)  the actor uses a deadly weapon during the
 commission of the assault and causes:
 (A)  serious bodily injury to a person whose
 relationship to or association with the defendant is described by
 Section 71.0021(b), 71.003, or 71.005, Family Code; or
 (B)  a traumatic brain or spine injury to another
 that results in a persistent vegetative state or irreversible
 paralysis;
 (2)  regardless of whether the offense is committed
 under Subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2), the offense is committed:
 (A)  by a public servant acting under color of the
 servant's office or employment;
 (B)  against a person the actor knows is a public
 servant while the public servant is lawfully discharging an
 official duty, or in retaliation or on account of an exercise of
 official power or performance of an official duty as a public
 servant;
 (C)  in retaliation against or on account of the
 service of another as a witness, prospective witness, informant, or
 person who has reported the occurrence of a crime;
 (D)  against a person the actor knows is a process
 server while the person is performing a duty as a process server; or
 (E)  against a person the actor knows is a
 security officer while the officer is performing a duty as a
 security officer; or
 (3)  the actor is in a motor vehicle, as defined by
 Section 501.002, Transportation Code, and:
 (A)  knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the
 direction of a habitation, building, or vehicle;
 (B)  is reckless as to whether the habitation,
 building, or vehicle is occupied; and
 (C)  in discharging the firearm, causes serious
 bodily injury to any person.
 SECTION 3.  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 occurred
 before that date.
 SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.