H.B. 204 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 204 By: Berman Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This bill was created to reduce the number of tenants who do not pay rent by subjecting them to criminal charges. House Bill 204 adds property that is occupied under a rental agreement to the theft of service provisions covered by Section 31.04, Penal Code. H.B. 204 will make vacating property under a rental agreement on or after the expiration of the rental agreement without paying the applicable rental charge for the property within 10 days after the date on which the actor received notice demanding payment, a criminal offense. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 31.04(b) (3), Penal Code, to add vacates property occupied under a rental agreement. SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For purposes of this section , an offense is committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date. (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.