| 1 | 1 | | 89R9582 CJD-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: AnchÃa H.B. No. 2695 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the use of a social media platform in furtherance of an |
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| 10 | 10 | | offense involving the delivery of a controlled substance; |
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| 11 | 11 | | increasing criminal penalties. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 481, Health and Safety |
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| 14 | 14 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 481.142 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 481.142. USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FOR DELIVERY OF |
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| 16 | 16 | | CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. (a) "Social media platform" has the meaning |
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| 17 | 17 | | assigned by Section 120.001, Business & Commerce Code. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) If it is shown on the trial of an offense under Section |
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| 19 | 19 | | 481.112, 481.1121, 481.1123, 481.113, 481.114, 481.119, 481.120, |
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| 20 | 20 | | or 481.122, involving the delivery of a controlled substance that |
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| 21 | 21 | | the defendant used a social media platform in furtherance of the |
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| 22 | 22 | | offense, the punishment for the offense is increased to the |
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| 23 | 23 | | punishment prescribed by the next higher category of offense, |
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| 24 | 24 | | except that the punishment for a felony of the first degree is |
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| 25 | 25 | | increased by five years and the maximum fine for the offense is |
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| 26 | 26 | | doubled. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 28 | 28 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 29 | 29 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 30 | 30 | | governed by the law in effect at the time the offense was committed, |
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| 31 | 31 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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| 32 | 32 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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| 33 | 33 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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| 34 | 34 | | before that date. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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