By Zaffirini S.B. No. 61
75R675 KKA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the penalty for failure to report abuse of persons who
1-3 are elderly or disabled.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 48.0361(a), Human Resources Code, is
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) A person commits an offense if the person has cause to
1-8 believe that an elderly or disabled person has been abused,
1-9 exploited, or neglected or is in the state of abuse, exploitation,
1-10 or neglect and knowingly fails to report in accordance with Section
1-11 48.036 or Subchapter E. An offense under this subsection is a
1-12 Class A [B] misdemeanor.
1-13 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-14 only to the punishment for an offense committed on or after the
1-15 effective date of this Act. For purposes of this section, an
1-16 offense is committed before the effective date of this Act if any
1-17 element of the offense occurs before the effective date.
1-18 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-19 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-20 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-21 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-22 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.