| 1 | 1 | | By: Rosenthal H.B. No. 689 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to civil liability for discriminatory false reports to law |
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| 7 | 7 | | enforcement agencies or emergency service providers. |
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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. Title 4, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Chapter 100B to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | CHAPTER 100B. LIABILITY FOR DISCRIMINATION |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 100B.001. LIABILITY FOR DISCRIMINATORY FALSE REPORTS |
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| 13 | 13 | | TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND EMERGENCY SERVICE PROVIDERS. (a) A |
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| 14 | 14 | | person who submits a false report to a law enforcement agency or |
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| 15 | 15 | | emergency service provider, with the intent that the law |
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| 16 | 16 | | enforcement agency or emergency service provider take action |
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| 17 | 17 | | against a falsely accused person, is liable to the falsely accused |
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| 18 | 18 | | person for an amount not to exceed $250 if the report was submitted |
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| 19 | 19 | | due to bias or prejudice against the falsely accused person's race, |
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| 20 | 20 | | color, disability, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, |
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| 21 | 21 | | gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) If a falsely accused person prevails in an action |
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| 23 | 23 | | brought under Subsection (a), the person may recover attorney's |
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| 24 | 24 | | fees and costs incurred in bringing the action. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Section 100B.001, Civil Practice and Remedies |
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| 26 | 26 | | Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a cause of action that |
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| 27 | 27 | | accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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