78R8686 GWK-D


By:  Ellis                                                        H.B. No. 2525



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the punishment of certain assaults committed against 
persons who contract with government and employees of those 
persons.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 22.01(b), Penal Code, is amended to read 
as follows:     
	(b)  An offense under Subsection (a)(1) is a Class A 
misdemeanor, except that the offense is a felony of the third degree 
if the offense is committed against:
		(1)  a person the actor knows is a public servant while 
the public servant is lawfully discharging an official duty, or in 
retaliation or on account of an exercise of official power or 
performance of an official duty as a public servant; [or]
		(2)  a member of the defendant's family or household, if 
it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant has been 
previously convicted of an offense against a member of the 
defendant's family or household under this section; or
		(3)  a person who contracts with government to perform 
a service or an employee of that person:
			(A)  while the person or employee is engaged in 
performing a service within the scope of the contract, if the actor 
knows the person or employee is authorized by government to provide 
the service; or
			(B)  in retaliation for or on account of the 
person's or employee's performance of a service within the scope of 
the contract.
	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 the effective 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.