By West                                                S.B. No. 665
         76R1903 PEP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the definition of "deadly weapon" for purposes of the
 1-3     prosecution of certain offenses.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 1.07(17), Penal Code, is amended to read
 1-6     as follows:
 1-7                 (17)  "Deadly weapon" means:
 1-8                       (A)  a firearm or anything manifestly designed,
 1-9     made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious
1-10     bodily injury; or
1-11                       (B)  anything that [in the manner of its use or
1-12     intended use] is used with the intent to cause [capable of causing]
1-13     death or serious bodily injury.
1-14           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-15     to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
1-16     An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
1-17     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
1-18     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
1-19     purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
1-20     effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
1-21     before that date.
1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-23           SECTION 4.  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.