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AN ACT
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relating to interference with the duties of a public health |
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professional; providing a criminal penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 38.15(a), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) A person commits an offense if the person with criminal |
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negligence interrupts, disrupts, impedes, or otherwise interferes |
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with: |
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(1) a peace officer while the peace officer is |
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performing a duty or exercising authority imposed or granted by |
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law; |
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(2) a person who is employed to provide emergency |
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medical services including the transportation of ill or injured |
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persons while the person is performing that duty; |
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(3) a fire fighter, while the fire fighter is fighting |
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a fire or investigating the cause of a fire; |
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(4) an animal under the supervision of a peace |
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officer, corrections officer, or jailer, if the person knows the |
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animal is being used for law enforcement, corrections, prison or |
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jail security, or investigative purposes; |
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(5) the transmission of a communication over a |
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citizen's band radio channel, the purpose of which communication is |
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to inform or inquire about an emergency; [or] |
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(6) an officer with responsibility for animal control |
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in a county or municipality, while the officer is performing a duty |
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or exercising authority imposed or granted under Chapter 821 or |
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822, Health and Safety Code; or |
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(7) a person who: |
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(A) has responsibility for assessing, enacting, |
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or enforcing public health, environmental, radiation, or safety |
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measures for the state or a county or municipality; |
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(B) is investigating a particular site as part of |
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the person's responsibilities under Paragraph (A); |
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(C) is acting in accordance with policies and |
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procedures related to the safety and security of the site described |
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by Paragraph (B); and |
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(D) is performing a duty or exercising authority |
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imposed or granted under the Agriculture Code, Health and Safety |
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Code, Occupations Code, or Water Code. |
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SECTION 2. 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 3. 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. 2703 was passed by the House on May 4, |
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2007, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 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. 2703 was passed by the Senate on May |
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23, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 31, 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 |