By:  Culberson                                        H.B. No. 1393
       73R3284 CLG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the offense of the unauthorized use of a vehicle.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 31.07, Penal Code, is amended by adding
    1-5  Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
    1-6        (c)  It is not a defense to prosecution under this section
    1-7  that the person did not know that he acted without the effective
    1-8  consent of the owner.
    1-9        (d)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
   1-10  section that the person acted with the effective consent of another
   1-11  whom the person reasonably believed to be the owner.
   1-12        SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
   1-13  only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
   1-14  Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
   1-15  the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
   1-16  before the effective date.
   1-17        (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
   1-18  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
   1-19  and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose.
   1-20        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   1-21        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-24  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-1  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.