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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for criminal mischief committed by  | 
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interfering with certain transportation signs, signals, or  | 
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devices. | 
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       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
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       SECTION 1.  Section 28.03(g), Penal Code, is amended by  | 
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adding Subdivisions (4) through (8) to read as follows: | 
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             (4)  "Aluminum wiring" means insulated or noninsulated  | 
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wire or cable that consists of at least 50 percent aluminum,  | 
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including any tubing or conduit attached to the wire or cable. | 
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             (5)  "Bronze wiring" means insulated or noninsulated  | 
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wire or cable that consists of at least 50 percent bronze, including  | 
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any tubing or conduit attached to the wire or cable. | 
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             (6)  "Copper wiring" means insulated or noninsulated  | 
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wire or cable that consists of at least 50 percent copper, including  | 
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any tubing or conduit attached to the wire or cable. | 
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             (7)  "Transportation communications equipment" means: | 
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                   (A)  an official traffic-control device, railroad  | 
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sign or signal, or traffic-control signal, as those terms are  | 
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defined by Section 541.304, Transportation Code; or | 
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                   (B)  a sign, signal, or device erected by a  | 
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railroad, public body, or public officer to direct the movement of a  | 
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railroad train, as defined by Section 541.202, Transportation Code. | 
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             (8)  "Transportation communications device" means any  | 
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item attached to transportation communications equipment,  | 
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including aluminum wiring, bronze wiring, and copper wiring. | 
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       SECTION 2.  Section 28.03, Penal Code, is amended by adding  | 
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Subsection (j) to read as follows: | 
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       (j)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an offense under this  | 
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section is a felony of the third degree if: | 
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             (1)  the tangible property damaged, destroyed, or  | 
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tampered with is transportation communications equipment or a  | 
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transportation communications device; and | 
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             (2)  the amount of the pecuniary loss to the tangible  | 
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property is less than $100,000. | 
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       SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only  | 
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  | 
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is  | 
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covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the  | 
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For purposes of  | 
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this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of  | 
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this Act if any element of the offense was committed before that  | 
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date. | 
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       SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. | 
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______________________________ | 
______________________________ | 
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   President of the Senate | 
Speaker of the House      | 
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       I certify that H.B. No. 1767 was passed by the House on April  | 
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25, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 0, 2 present, not  | 
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voting. | 
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______________________________ | 
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Chief Clerk of the House    | 
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       I certify that H.B. No. 1767 was passed by the Senate on May  | 
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18, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. | 
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______________________________ | 
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Secretary of the Senate     | 
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APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
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                   Date           | 
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          _____________________ | 
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                 Governor        |