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AN ACT
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relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of |
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refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 32.49(c), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(c) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, |
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except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if the owner |
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of the real or personal property subject to the fraudulent lien or |
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claim is a person the actor knows is a public servant. |
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SECTION 2. 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 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 4996 was passed by the House on May 7, |
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2025, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 4, 2 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 4996 was passed by the Senate on May |
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23, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: _____________________ |
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Date |
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_____________________ |
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Governor |