By: Patterson S.B. No. 1218 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to venue in the prosecution of the offense of issuing a 1-2 bad check. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 13, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-5 amended by adding Article 13.26 to read as follows: 1-6 Art. 13.26. ISSUANCE OF BAD CHECK. Notwithstanding Articles 1-7 4.12 and 45.22, an offense under Section 32.41, Penal Code, may be 1-8 tried in any justice court precinct in the county in which the 1-9 offense was committed or, if the victim of the alleged offense 1-10 receives by mail or similar delivery service the check or similar 1-11 sight order issued or passed by the defendant, in any justice court 1-12 precinct in the county in which the victim: 1-13 (1) receives the check or similar sight order; or 1-14 (2) is located, if the victim is a business entity and 1-15 receives the check or similar sight order in a county other than 1-16 the county in which the victim is located. 1-17 SECTION 2. (a) Article 13.26, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1-18 as added by this Act, applies only to the venue for the trial of an 1-19 offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For 1-20 purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the 1-21 effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs 1-22 before that date. 1-23 (b) Venue for the trial of an offense committed before the 2-1 effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the 2-2 offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect 2-3 for that purpose. 2-4 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-5 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.