By: Nelson, Zaffirini S.B. No. 18 Shapiro, Van de Putte A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of the offense of interfering with an 1-3 emergency telephone call. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Section 42.062 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 42.062. INTERFERENCE WITH EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALL. 1-8 (a) An individual commits an offense if the individual knowingly 1-9 prevents or interferes with another individual's ability to place 1-10 an emergency telephone call or to request assistance in an 1-11 emergency from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other 1-12 agency or entity the primary purpose of which is to provide for the 1-13 safety of individuals. 1-14 (b) An individual commits an offense if the individual 1-15 recklessly renders unusable a telephone that would otherwise be 1-16 used by another individual to place an emergency telephone call or 1-17 to request assistance in an emergency from a law enforcement 1-18 agency, medical facility, or other agency or entity the primary 1-19 purpose of which is to provide for the safety of individuals. 1-20 (c) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, 1-21 except that the offense is a state jail felony if the actor has 1-22 previously been convicted under this section. 1-23 (d) In this section, "emergency" means a condition or 1-24 circumstance in which any individual is or is reasonably believed 1-25 by the individual making a telephone call to be in imminent danger 2-1 of serious bodily injury or in which property is or is reasonably 2-2 believed by the individual making the telephone call to be in 2-3 imminent danger of damage or destruction. 2-4 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.