By Nelson                                               S.B. No. 18
         77R1598 GWK-D                           
                                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)  A person commits an offense if the person with criminal
 1-9     negligence prevents or otherwise interferes with a telephone call
1-10     made or attempted by another to request assistance in an emergency
1-11     from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other agency or
1-12     entity the primary purpose of which is to provide for the safety of
1-13     individuals.
1-14           (b)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
1-15     except that the offense is a state jail felony if the actor has
1-16     previously been convicted under this section.
1-17           (c)  In this section, "emergency" means a condition or
1-18     circumstance in which any person is or is reasonably believed by
1-19     the person making a telephone call to be in imminent danger of
1-20     serious bodily injury or in which property is or is reasonably
1-21     believed by the person making the telephone call to be in imminent
1-22     danger of damage or destruction.
1-23           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.