By Martinez Fischer                                   H.B. No. 2856
         77R7906 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to certain criminal offenses involving bail bond activity;
 1-3     increasing a penalty.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Sections 1704.303(b) and (c), Occupations Code,
 1-6     are amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  A person may not advertise as a bail bond surety in a
 1-8     county unless the person holds a license issued under this chapter
 1-9     by a bail bond board in that county.
1-10           (c)  A person commits an offense if the person violates this
1-11     section.  An offense under this section is a Class B [C]
1-12     misdemeanor.
1-13           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-14           SECTION 3. (a)  The change in law made by this Act to Section
1-15     1704.303, Occupations Code, applies only to an offense committed on
1-16     or after the effective date of this Act.
1-17           (b)  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed
1-18     before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
1-19     occurs before that date.  An offense committed before the effective
1-20     date of this Act is covered by the law in effect on the date the
1-21     offense is committed, and the former law is continued in effect for
1-22     that purpose.