Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4416 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R12827 MEW/RDR-D
2	2	By: McLaughlin H.B. No. 4416
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to disorderly or threatening behavior and measures by
10	10	public schools and institutions of higher education to prevent that
11	11	behavior; increasing criminal penalties; creating a criminal
12	12	offense.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Section 29.932 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 29.932. GENERAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN REGARDING
17	17	CONSEQUENCES OF ENGAGING IN DISORDERLY OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR.
18	18	(a) In this section, "doxing" means to intentionally post on a
19	19	publicly accessible website the private, sensitive, or identifying
20	20	information of a person:
21	21	(1) without the person's consent; and
22	22	(2) with the intent to incite violence against or
23	23	otherwise harass or intimidate the person.
24	24	(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
25	25	shall develop and implement an annual comprehensive prevention and
26	26	outreach program for students on the consequences of engaging in
27	27	disorderly or threatening behavior, including the consequences of
28	28	doxing a person or engaging in conduct that otherwise constitutes a
29	29	criminal offense under Section 22.07, 42.06, 42.0601, 42.074, or
30	30	46.08, Penal Code. The program must include:
31	31	(1) a general awareness campaign; and
32	32	(2) the provision of information to students and
33	33	parents or guardians of students regarding:
34	34	(A) responsible online behavior; and
35	35	(B) procedures for reporting suspicious activity
36	36	involving disorderly or threatening behavior.
37	37	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is
38	38	amended by adding Section 37.091 to read as follows:
39	39	Sec. 37.091. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION REGARDING STUDENT
40	40	CONDUCT INVOLVING DISORDERLY OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR. A school
41	41	district or open-enrollment charter school shall immediately
42	42	notify a student's parent or guardian if the student is alleged to
43	43	have engaged in conduct that contains the elements of an offense
44	44	under Section 22.07, 42.06, 42.0601, 42.074, or 46.08, Penal Code.
45	45	SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
46	46	amended by adding Section 51.992 to read as follows:
47	47	Sec. 51.992. GENERAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN REGARDING
48	48	CONSEQUENCES OF ENGAGING IN DISORDERLY OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR.
49	49	(a) In this section:
50	50	(1) "Doxing" means to intentionally post on a publicly
51	51	accessible website the private, sensitive, or identifying
52	52	information of a person:
53	53	(A) without the person's consent; and
54	54	(B) with the intent to incite violence against or
55	55	otherwise harass or intimidate the person.
56	56	(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
57	57	assigned by Section 61.003.
58	58	(b) Each institution of higher education shall develop and
59	59	implement an annual comprehensive prevention and outreach program
60	60	for students on the consequences of engaging in disorderly or
61	61	threatening behavior, including the consequences of doxing a person
62	62	or engaging in conduct that otherwise constitutes a criminal
63	63	offense under Section 22.07, 42.06, 42.0601, 42.074, or 46.08,
64	64	Penal Code. The program must include:
65	65	(1) a general awareness campaign; and
66	66	(2) the provision of information to students
67	67	regarding:
68	68	(A) responsible online behavior; and
69	69	(B) procedures for reporting suspicious activity
70	70	involving disorderly or threatening behavior.
71	71	SECTION 4. Section 22.07(c-1), Penal Code, is amended to
72	72	read as follows:
73	73	(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c) [(c)(2)], an offense
74	74	under Subsection (a)(2) is a state jail felony if the offense is
75	75	committed against a person the actor knows is:
76	76	(1) a peace officer or judge; or
77	77	(2) an employee or student of a public or private
78	78	primary or secondary school or postsecondary educational
79	79	institution.
80	80	SECTION 5. Section 42.074(b), Penal Code, is amended to
81	81	read as follows:
82	82	(b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor,
83	83	except that the offense is:
84	84	(1) a Class A misdemeanor if the offense results in the
85	85	bodily injury of:
86	86	(A) [(1)] the individual whose residence address
87	87	or telephone number was posted on a publicly accessible website; or
88	88	(B) [(2)] a member of the individual's family or
89	89	household; or
90	90	(2) a state jail felony if the individual whose
91	91	residence address or telephone number was posted on a publicly
92	92	accessible website is an employee or student of a public or private
93	93	primary or secondary school or postsecondary educational
94	94	institution.
95	95	SECTION 6. Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding
96	96	Section 42.0745 to read as follows:
97	97	Sec. 42.0745. PARENTAL FAILURE TO STOP UNLAWFUL DISCLOSURE
98	98	OF RESIDENCE ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER. (a) In this section,
99	99	"child" means a person younger than 18 years of age.
100	100	(b) A parent or legal guardian of a child commits an offense
101	101	if the actor:
102	102	(1) observes or otherwise has knowledge of the child
103	103	engaging in conduct constituting an offense under Section 42.074;
104	104	and
105	105	(2) fails to take reasonable steps to stop the child
106	106	from engaging in the conduct.
107	107	(c) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor,
108	108	except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the offense
109	109	results in the bodily injury of:
110	110	(1) the individual whose residence address or
111	111	telephone number was posted on a publicly accessible website; or
112	112	(2) a member of the individual's family or household.
113	113	SECTION 7. Section 46.08(b), Penal Code, is amended to read
114	114	as follows:
115	115	(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
116	116	except that the offense is a state jail felony if the actor intends
117	117	to use the hoax bomb on the premises, grounds, or campus of a public
118	118	or private primary or secondary school or postsecondary educational
119	119	institution.
120	120	SECTION 8. Section 29.932, Education Code, as added by this
121	121	Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
122	122	SECTION 9. Section 51.992, Education Code, as added by this
123	123	Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.
124	124	SECTION 10. Sections 22.07, 42.074, and 46.08, Penal Code,
125	125	as amended by this Act, apply only to an offense committed on or
126	126	after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before
127	127	the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
128	128	the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued
129	129	in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an
130	130	offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any
131	131	element of the offense occurred before that date.
132	132	SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.