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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for certain misdemeanor thefts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 31.03, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (f-1) to read as follows: |
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(f-1) For the purposes of punishment, an offense described |
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by Subsection (e)(1) or (e)(2) is increased to the next highest |
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category of offense if it is shown at the trial of the offense that |
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the defendant, with the intent that a distraction from the |
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commission of the offense be created, intentionally, knowingly, or |
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recklessly caused an alarm to sound or otherwise become activated |
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during the commission of the theft. |
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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 at the time the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the |
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purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |