By Yarbrough H.B. No. 1704
74R5674 KLL-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to venue for criminal offenses under Title 15, Election
1-3 Code.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 251.004, Election Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 251.004. VENUE FOR OFFENSES. Venue for a criminal
1-8 offense prescribed by this title is in the county of residence of
1-9 the defendant, except that <unless the defendant is not a Texas
1-10 resident, in which case> venue is in Travis County if:
1-11 (1) the defendant is not a Texas resident; or
1-12 (2) the defendant is a candidate or officeholder
1-13 required to file reports with the commission under Chapter 254 or
1-14 is a specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or
1-15 assisting such a candidate or officeholder.
1-16 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-17 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-18 Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
1-19 the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
1-20 before that date.
1-21 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-22 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-23 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-24 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
2-1 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.