1-1 By: Dukes, Solis of Cameron, Garcia H.B. No. 861 1-2 (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) 1-3 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 1999; 1-4 April 30, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-5 Criminal Justice; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following 1-6 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the creation of the offense of coercing, soliciting, or 1-10 inducing a child to participate in the activities of a criminal 1-11 street gang. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Chapter 22, Penal Code, is amended by adding 1-14 Section 22.015 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 22.015. COERCING, SOLICITING, OR INDUCING GANG 1-16 MEMBERSHIP. (a) In this section: 1-17 (1) "Child" means an individual younger than 17 years 1-18 of age. 1-19 (2) "Criminal street gang" has the meaning assigned by 1-20 Section 71.01. 1-21 (b) A person commits an offense if, with intent to coerce, 1-22 induce, or solicit a child to actively participate in the 1-23 activities of a criminal street gang, the person: 1-24 (1) threatens the child with imminent bodily injury; 1-25 or 1-26 (2) causes bodily injury to the child. 1-27 (c) An offense under Subsection (b)(1) is a state jail 1-28 felony. An offense under Subsection (b)(2) is a felony of the 1-29 third degree. 1-30 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-31 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-32 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-33 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-34 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-35 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-36 * * * * *