| 1 | 1 | | 88R6436 PRL-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Huffman S.B. No. 287 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to the prosecution of the offense of terroristic threat. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 22.07(a), Penal Code, is amended to read |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (a) A person commits an offense if the person [he] threatens |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | to commit any offense involving violence to any person or property |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | with intent to: |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (1) cause a reaction of any type to the [his] threat by |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies; |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (2) place any person in fear of imminent serious |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | bodily injury; |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (3) prevent or interrupt the occupation or use of a |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | access, place of employment or occupation, aircraft, automobile, or |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | other form of conveyance, or other public place; |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (4) cause impairment or interruption of public |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | communications, public transportation, public water, gas, or power |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | supply or other public service; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (5) place the public or a substantial group of the |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | public in fear of serious bodily injury; or |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (6) influence the conduct or activities of: |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (A) a branch or agency of the federal government, |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | the state, or a political subdivision of the state; |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (B) a child-care facility; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (C) a public or private primary or secondary |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | school; or |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (D) an institution of higher education or a |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | private or independent institution of higher education. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. Section 22.07(f), Penal Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivisions (1-a) and (4) to |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (1) "Child-care facility" has the meaning assigned by |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | Section 42.002, Human Resources Code. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (1-a) "Family" has the meaning assigned by Section |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 71.003, Family Code. |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (4) "Institution of higher education" and "private or |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | independent institution of higher education" have the meanings |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | before that date. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|