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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment of certain offenses committed by using a |
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vehicle to enter a building or other structure. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Penal Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 12.50 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.50. PENALTY IF VEHICLE USED TO COMMIT CERTAIN |
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OFFENSES. (a) If it is shown on the trial of an offense under |
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Chapter 28, 29, 30, or 31, other than an offense punishable as a |
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felony of the first degree or a Class A misdemeanor, that the actor |
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operated a vehicle into or through a wall, door, or window of a |
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building or other structure to enable the actor to commit the |
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offense, the punishment for the offense is increased to the |
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punishment prescribed for the next higher category of offense. If |
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the offense is a Class A misdemeanor, the minimum term of |
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confinement is increased to 180 days. |
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(b) In this section, "vehicle" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 30.01. |
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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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governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |