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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of the offense of interference with |
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police service animals. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 38.151(c), Penal Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) An offense under this section is: |
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(1) a Class C misdemeanor if the person commits an |
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offense under Subsection (b)(1); |
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(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the person commits an |
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offense under Subsection (b)(2); |
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(3) a Class A misdemeanor if the person commits an |
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offense under Subsection (b)(3), (4), or (5); |
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(4) except as provided by Subdivision (5), a state |
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jail felony if the person commits an offense under Subsection |
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(b)(6) or (7) by injuring a police service animal or by engaging in |
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conduct likely to injure the animal; or |
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(5) a felony of the second [third] degree if the person |
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commits an offense under Subsection (b)(6) or (7) by: |
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(A) killing a police service animal or [by] |
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engaging in conduct likely to kill the animal; |
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(B) injuring a police service animal in a manner |
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that materially and permanently affects the ability of the animal |
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to perform as a police service animal; or |
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(C) engaging in conduct likely to injure a police |
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service animal in a manner that would materially and permanently |
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affect the ability of the animal to perform as a police service |
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animal. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered |
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by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this |
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section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this |
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Act if any element of the offense was committed before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |