1-1 By: Nelson, Zaffirini, Shapiro S.B. No. 18 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed November 13, 2000; January 10, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; 1-4 February 15, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 1-5 4, Nays 0; February 15, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the creation of the offense of interfering with an 1-9 emergency telephone call. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding 1-12 Section 42.062 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 42.062. INTERFERENCE WITH EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALL. 1-14 (a) A person commits an offense if the person with criminal 1-15 negligence prevents or otherwise interferes with a telephone call 1-16 made or attempted by another to request assistance in an emergency 1-17 from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other agency or 1-18 entity the primary purpose of which is to provide for the safety of 1-19 individuals. 1-20 (b) 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 (c) In this section, "emergency" means a condition or 1-24 circumstance in which any person is or is reasonably believed by 1-25 the person making a telephone call to be in imminent danger of 1-26 serious bodily injury or in which property is or is reasonably 1-27 believed by the person making the telephone call to be in imminent 1-28 danger of damage or destruction. 1-29 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-30 * * * * *