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.