By Telford                                             H.B. No. 117

      75R580 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to creating the offense of false disparagement about the

 1-3     AIDS or HIV status of an individual.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding

 1-6     Section 42.072 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 42.072.  FALSE DISPARAGEMENT RELATING TO AIDS AND HIV.

 1-8     (a)  A person commits an offense if the person intentionally

 1-9     disseminates in any manner information stating that another has

1-10     acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or human

1-11     immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, antibodies to HIV, or an

1-12     infection with any other probable causative agent of AIDS, and the

1-13     person:

1-14                 (1)  knows that the information disseminated is false;

1-15     or

1-16                 (2)  does not know whether the information disseminated

1-17     is true.

1-18           (b)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

1-19           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-24     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-1     passage, and it is so enacted.