By:  Brown                                    S.B. No. 329

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the offense of making a false report to a peace officer

 1-2     or to an employee of a law enforcement agency.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 37.08, Penal Code, is amended to read as

 1-5     follows:

 1-6           Sec. 37.08.  FALSE REPORT TO PEACE OFFICER OR LAW ENFORCEMENT

 1-7     EMPLOYEE.  (a)  A person commits an offense if, with intent to

 1-8     deceive, he knowingly makes a false statement that is material to a

 1-9     criminal investigation and makes the statement to:

1-10                 (1)  a peace officer conducting the [a criminal]

1-11     investigation; or

1-12                 (2)  any employee of a law enforcement agency that the

1-13     actor knows is conducting [and the statement is material to] the

1-14     investigation.

1-15           (b)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-17           SECTION 3.  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.