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 * * * * *