By Staples S.B. No. 420
77R300 KEL-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the prosecution of and punishment for an offense in the
1-3 commission of which the actor interferes with an animal used in law
1-4 enforcement.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Sections 38.15(a) and (b), Penal Code, are
1-7 amended to read as follows:
1-8 (a) A person commits an offense if the person with criminal
1-9 negligence interrupts, disrupts, impedes, or otherwise interferes
1-10 with:
1-11 (1) a peace officer while the peace officer is
1-12 performing a duty or exercising authority imposed or granted by
1-13 law;
1-14 (2) a person who is employed to provide emergency
1-15 medical services including the transportation of ill or injured
1-16 persons while the person is performing that duty;
1-17 (3) a fire fighter, while the fire fighter is fighting
1-18 a fire or investigating the cause of a fire;
1-19 (4) an animal that is used for a law enforcement,
1-20 corrections, prison or jail security, or investigative purpose
1-21 [under the supervision of a peace officer, corrections officer, or
1-22 jailer], if the person knows the animal is [being] used for that
1-23 purpose and regardless of whether the animal is being used for that
1-24 purpose at the time of the interference [law enforcement,
2-1 corrections, prison or jail security, or investigative purposes];
2-2 or
2-3 (5) the transmission of a communication over a
2-4 citizen's band radio channel, the purpose of which communication is
2-5 to inform or inquire about an emergency.
2-6 (b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an [An]
2-7 offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor. An offense
2-8 under Subsection (a)(4) is a felony of the third degree if in
2-9 committing the offense the actor intentionally causes the death of
2-10 the animal.
2-11 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
2-12 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
2-13 Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
2-14 the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
2-15 before that date.
2-16 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-17 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-18 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-19 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.