By Oliveira, Keel                                     H.B. No. 1664

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the imposition of a criminal penalty for the

 1-3     intentional removal, damage, or concealment  of signs or markers

 1-4     giving information about the location of certain underground

 1-5     facilities.

 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-7           SECTION 1.  (a)  A person commits an offense if:

 1-8                 (1)  the person without authorization from the owner or

 1-9     operator of the facility intentionally removes, damages, or

1-10     conceals a marker or sign giving information about the location of

1-11     an underground pipeline, electric transmission line, telegraph or

1-12     telephone line, or other facility that is potentially hazardous to

1-13     the public health or safety; and

1-14                 (2)  the marker or sign gives notice of the penalty for

1-15     intentional removal, damage, or concealment of the marker or sign.

1-16           (b)  An offense under this Act is a Class B misdemeanor.

1-17           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-23     passage, and it is so enacted.