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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of the offenses of terroristic threat |
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and unlawful possession of a firearm; creating a criminal offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 22.07, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsections (a-1) and (e-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly |
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sends a written message, including a text message, e-mail, social |
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media post, or other similar communication, to another: |
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(1) in which the actor threatens to cause bodily |
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injury to another person, including a threat to commit a mass |
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shooting or other act of terrorism; and |
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(2) that would cause a reasonable person to fear that |
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the actor might cause bodily injury to another. |
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(e-1) An offense under Subsection (a-1) is a Class A |
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misdemeanor. |
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SECTION 2. Section 46.04(b), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) A person who has been convicted of an offense under |
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Section 22.01, punishable as a Class A misdemeanor and involving a |
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member of the person's family or household, or an offense under |
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Section 22.07(a-1), commits an offense if the person possesses a |
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firearm before the fifth anniversary of the later of: |
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(1) the date of the person's release from confinement |
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following conviction of an offense described by this subsection |
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[the misdemeanor]; or |
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(2) the date of the person's release from community |
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supervision following conviction of an offense described by this |
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subsection [the misdemeanor]. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |