H.B. No. 254




AN ACT

relating to venue in the prosecution of the offense of fraudulent 
use or possession of identifying information.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 13, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended by adding Article 13.28 to read as follows:
	Art. 13.28.  FRAUDULENT USE OR POSSESSION OF IDENTIFYING 
INFORMATION.  An offense under Section 32.51, Penal Code, may be 
prosecuted in any county in which the offense was committed or in 
the county of residence for the person whose identifying 
information was fraudulently obtained, possessed, transferred, or 
used.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003, and 
applies only to the prosecution of an offense commenced by the 
filing of an indictment or information on or after that date.  A 
prosecution commenced before September 1, 2003, is controlled by 
the law in effect at the time the prosecution was commenced, and the 
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 254 was passed by the House on April 
2, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	I certify that H.B. No. 254 was passed by the Senate on May 
28, 2003, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Secretary of the Senate    



APPROVED:  _____________________                                            
 
                   Date                                                      




 
          _____________________                                          
 
                 Governor