By Edwards                                            H.B. No. 2454
         76R8580 DLF-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the penalty applicable to a person who tattoos a person
 1-3     younger than 18 in violation of law.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 146.012, Health and Safety Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 1-7           (d)  A person commits an offense if the person violates
 1-8     Subsection (a)(1). An offense under this subsection is a Class B
 1-9     misdemeanor.
1-10           SECTION 2.  Section 146.018(b), Health and Safety Code, is
1-11     amended to read as follows:
1-12           (b)  Except as provided by Section 146.012(d), an [An]
1-13     offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
1-14           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-15           SECTION 4.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
1-16     only to the punishment for an offense  committed on or after the
1-17     effective date of this Act.  For purposes of this section, an
1-18     offense is committed before the effective date of this Act if any
1-19     element of the offense occurs before the effective date.
1-20           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-21     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-22     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-23           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.