1-1     By:  West, et al.                                     S.B. No. 1579
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
 1-4     April 12, 1999, reported favorably, as amended, by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 12, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                               By:  Duncan
 1-7           Amend S.B. No. 1579 by striking the word "an" on page 1 at
 1-8     line 22 and replacing it with "a Class A misdemeanor or felony"
 1-9     before the word "offense".
1-10                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-11                                   AN ACT
1-12     relating to the creation of the offense of soliciting membership in
1-13     a criminal street gang.
1-14           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-15           SECTION 1.  Chapter 71, Penal Code, is amended by adding
1-16     Section 71.022 to read as follows:
1-17           Sec. 71.022.  SOLICITING MEMBERSHIP IN A CRIMINAL STREET
1-18     GANG.  (a)  A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
1-19     causes, enables, encourages, recruits, or solicits another person
1-20     to become a member of a criminal street gang which, as a condition
1-21     of initiation, admission, membership, or continued membership,
1-22     requires the commission of any conduct which constitutes an offense
1-23     under this code or other law.
1-24           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under
1-25     this section is a felony of the third degree.
1-26           (c)  A second or subsequent offense under this section is a
1-27     felony of the second degree.
1-28           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-29           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-30     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-31     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-32     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-33     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-34                                  * * * * *