1-1     By:  Greenberg, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)    H.B. No. 806

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 1997;

 1-3     April 14, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Criminal Justice; May 2, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 2, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the prosecution of the offense of obstruction or

 1-9     retaliation.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 36.06(a), Penal Code, is amended to read

1-12     as follows:

1-13           (a)  A person commits an offense if he intentionally or

1-14     knowingly harms or threatens to harm another by an unlawful act:

1-15                 (1)  in retaliation for or on account of the service or

1-16     status of another as a:

1-17                       (A)  public servant, witness, prospective

1-18     witness, or informant;[,] or

1-19                       (B) [a]  person who has reported or who the actor

1-20     knows intends to report the occurrence of a crime; or

1-21                 (2)  to prevent or delay the service of another as a:

1-22                       (A)  public servant, witness, prospective

1-23     witness, or informant;[,] or

1-24                       (B) [a]  person who has reported or who the actor

1-25     knows intends to report the occurrence of a crime.

1-26           SECTION 2.  This Act shall be cited as the "Douglas S. Goeble

1-27     and Gil Epstein Act."

1-28           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-29           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-30     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-31     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-32     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-33     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-34                                  * * * * *