By: West, et al. S.B. No. 1579 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the creation of the offense of soliciting membership in 1-2 a criminal street gang. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 71, Penal Code, is amended by adding 1-5 Section 71.022 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 71.022. SOLICITING MEMBERSHIP IN A CRIMINAL STREET 1-7 GANG. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly 1-8 causes, enables, encourages, recruits, or solicits another person 1-9 to become a member of a criminal street gang which, as a condition 1-10 of initiation, admission, membership, or continued membership, 1-11 requires the commission of any conduct which constitutes an offense 1-12 under this code or other law. 1-13 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a Class A 1-14 misdemeanor or felony offense under this section is a felony of the 1-15 third degree. 1-16 (c) A second or subsequent offense under this section is a 1-17 felony of the second degree. 1-18 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-19 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.