By Hochberg, Gray H.B. No. 210 74R1160 GWK-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the punishment for certain offenses in regard to which 1-3 the defendant is criminally responsible for the conduct of a person 1-4 younger than 17 years of age. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Penal Code, is amended 1-7 by adding Section 12.48 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 12.48. PENALTY IF CRIME COMMITTED BY MINOR FOR WHOM 1-9 ACTOR IS CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE. (a) Except as provided by 1-10 Subsection (c), the punishment prescribed for an offense is 1-11 increased in the manner provided by Subsection (b) if it is shown 1-12 on the trial of the offense that: 1-13 (1) the defendant is guilty of the offense because the 1-14 defendant is criminally responsible for the conduct of another 1-15 under Section 7.02 of this code; 1-16 (2) the defendant was 19 years of age or older at the 1-17 time the person committed the conduct; and 1-18 (3) the person for whose conduct the defendant is 1-19 criminally responsible was younger than 17 years of age at the time 1-20 the person committed the conduct. 1-21 (b) If a defendant described by Subsection (a) is convicted 1-22 of a felony of the first degree, the minimum term of confinement 1-23 otherwise prescribed for the offense is increased from five years 1-24 to 10 years. If the defendant is convicted of an offense other 2-1 than a capital felony or a felony of the first degree, the 2-2 punishment prescribed for the offense is increased to the 2-3 punishment prescribed for the next highest category of offense. 2-4 (c) This section does not apply to an offense for which the 2-5 punishment otherwise prescribed is the punishment for a capital 2-6 felony. 2-7 SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 481, Health and Safety 2-8 Code, is amended by adding Section 481.1081 to read as follows: 2-9 Sec. 481.1081. PENALTY IF CRIME COMMITTED BY MINOR FOR WHOM 2-10 ACTOR IS CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE. (a) The punishment prescribed 2-11 for an offense under this subchapter is increased in the manner 2-12 provided by Subsection (b) if it is shown on the trial of the 2-13 offense that: 2-14 (1) the defendant is guilty of the offense because the 2-15 defendant is criminally responsible for the conduct of another 2-16 under Section 7.02, Penal Code; 2-17 (2) the defendant was 19 years of age or older at the 2-18 time the person committed the conduct; and 2-19 (3) the person for whose conduct the defendant is 2-20 criminally responsible was younger than 17 years of age at the time 2-21 the person committed the conduct. 2-22 (b) If a defendant described by Subsection (a) is convicted 2-23 of a felony of the first degree, the minimum term of confinement 2-24 otherwise imposed for the offense is increased by five years. If 2-25 the defendant is convicted of an offense other than a felony of the 2-26 first degree, the punishment prescribed for the offense is 2-27 increased to the punishment prescribed for the next highest 3-1 category of offense. 3-2 SECTION 3. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies 3-3 only to the punishment for an offense committed on or after the 3-4 effective date of this Act. For purposes of this section, an 3-5 offense is committed before the effective date of this Act if any 3-6 element of the offense occurs before the effective date. 3-7 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this 3-8 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, 3-9 and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose. 3-10 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 3-11 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 3-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.