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.