S.B. 110 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 110 By: Staples Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current federal law allows for the prosecution of an individual who has knowledge of a crime but fails to report it to a proper authority. Texas statute, however, lacks a provision to prosecute an individual who witnesses the commission of a felony but fails to report the action. Senate Bill 110 requires an individual to report the commission of a felony that may have resulted in serious bodily harm or death. 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 Senate Bill 110 amends the Penal Code to provide that a person commits a Class A misdemeanor offense for failing to report the commission of a felony in which a reasonable person would believe that an offense had been committed in which serious bodily injury or death may have resulted and a reasonable person would believe that it had not already been reported and the person was capable of doing so. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.