1-1  By:  Lewis of Orange (Senate Sponsor - Gallegos)      H.B. No. 2331
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1995;
    1-3  May 15, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
    1-4  Jurisprudence; May 24, 1995, reported favorably by the following
    1-5  vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 24, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the creation of the offense of preventing execution of
    1-9  civil process.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Chapter 38, Penal Code, is amended by adding
   1-12  Section 38.16 to read as follows:
   1-13        Sec. 38.16.  PREVENTING EXECUTION OF CIVIL PROCESS.   (a)  A
   1-14  person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly by words
   1-15  or physical action prevents the execution of any process in a civil
   1-16  cause.
   1-17        (b)  It is an exception to the application of this section
   1-18  that the actor evaded service of process by avoiding detection.
   1-19        (c)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
   1-20        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-21        SECTION 3.  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
   1-25  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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