HBA-AMW H.B. 2022 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2022 By: Hinojosa Criminal Jurisprudence 4/10/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Pursuit of a fleeing suspect is dangerous to the peace officers involved and to the citizens who are lawfully using the roadways. Under current law, a first offense for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle is a Class A misdemeanor and a repeat offense constitutes a state jail felony. Some individuals may not consider current penalties for evading arrest or detention much of a deterrent. Such individuals may be willing to incur additional penalties for evading arrest or detention because of the possibility of escaping apprehension for criminal activities or pending charges that carry stiffer sentences. House Bill 2022 increases the penalties and the period of driver's license suspension for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2022 amends the Penal and Transportation codes to increase certain criminal and civil penalties relating to the offense of evading arrest or detention. The bill increases from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony the penalty if the actor uses a vehicle while the actor is in flight and the actor has not been previously convicted of evading arrest or detention. The bill increases from a state jail felony to a felony of the third degree the penalty if the actor uses a vehicle while the actor is in flight and the actor has been previously convicted of evading arrest or detention. The bill also increases from one year to two years the period of a driver's license suspension for evading arrest or detention if the actor uses a vehicle while in flight. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.