HBA-NMO H.B. 1118 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1118 By: Solis, Jim Criminal Jurisprudence 3/5/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The comptroller's Texas Performance Review Team has reported that Texas has an estimated 145,000 gang members, while the Texas Education Agency has reported that gang-related incidences have increased from 5,736 in 1994-1995 to 8,959 in 1996-1997. Current law does not provide a criminal penalty for threatening a child with bodily injury as a means to coerce that child into participating in the activities of a criminal street gang. H.B. 1077 provides that a person commits a third degree felony if the person threatens a child with imminent bodily injury as a means to coerce, induce, or solicit that child to participate in the activities of a criminal street gang. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 22, Penal Code, by adding Section 22.015, as follows: Sec. 22.015. COERCING, SOLICITING, OR INDUCING GANG MEMBERSHIP. Defines "child and "criminal street gang." Provides that a person commits a third degree felony if, with the intent to coerce, induce, or solicit a child to actively participate in the activities of a criminal street gang, the person threatens the child with imminent bodily injury. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.