By: Staples S.B. No. 1313 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of the offense of failing to report the 1-3 commission of a felony. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Penal Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Section 38.18 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 38.18. FAILURE TO REPORT FELONY. (a) A person commits 1-8 an offense if the actor: 1-9 (1) observes the commission of a felony under 1-10 circumstances in which a reasonable person would believe that an 1-11 offense of a serious nature had been committed in which serious 1-12 bodily injury or death may have resulted; 1-13 (2) fails to immediately report the commission of the 1-14 offense to a peace officer or law enforcement agency and a 1-15 reasonable person would believe that the commission of the offense 1-16 had not been reported; and 1-17 (3) could immediately report the commission of the 1-18 offense without placing the actor in danger of suffering serious 1-19 bodily injury or death. 1-20 (b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. 1-21 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.