By Flores                                             H.B. No. 3340
         77R9289 JD-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to increasing the penalties for illegally parking a
 1-3     vehicle in a parking space or area designated specifically for
 1-4     individuals with disabilities.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Sections 681.011(g)-(k), Transportation Code, are
 1-7     amended to read as follows:
 1-8           (g)  Except as provided by Subsections (h)-(k), an offense
 1-9     under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of [not
1-10     less than $250 or more than] $500.
1-11           (h)  If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this
1-12     section that the person has been previously convicted one time of
1-13     an offense under this section, the offense is punishable by a fine
1-14     of not less than $500 [$300] or more than $750 [$600].
1-15           (i)  If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this
1-16     section that the person has been previously convicted two times of
1-17     an offense under this section, the offense is punishable by:
1-18                 (1)  a fine of not less than $750 [$300] or more than
1-19     $1,000 [$600]; and
1-20                 (2)  not less than 10 or more than 20 hours of
1-21     community service.
1-22           (j)  If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this
1-23     section that the person has been previously convicted three times
1-24     of an offense under this section, the offense is punishable by:
 2-1                 (1)  a fine of not less than $1,000 [$500] or more than
 2-2     $1,250 [$1,000]; and
 2-3                 (2)  not less than 20 or more than 50 hours community
 2-4     service.
 2-5           (k)  If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this
 2-6     section that the person has been previously convicted four times of
 2-7     an offense under this section, the offense is punishable by:
 2-8                 (1)  a fine of not less than $1,250 or more than
 2-9     $1,500; [$1,000] and
2-10                 (2)  50 hours of community service.
2-11           SECTION 2. (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-12           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an
2-13     offense committed on or after September 1, 2001.
2-14           (c)  An offense committed before September 1, 2001, is
2-15     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
2-16     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
2-17     purposes of this section, an offense was committed before September
2-18     1, 2001, if any element of the offense was committed before that
2-19     date.