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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the applicability of certain laws to certain sex |
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offenders. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 4(b), Article 37.07, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) In the penalty phase of the trial of a felony case in |
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which the punishment is to be assessed by the jury rather than the |
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court, if the offense is punishable as a felony of the first degree, |
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if a prior conviction has been alleged for enhancement of |
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punishment as provided by Section 12.42(b), (c)(1) [or (2)], or |
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(d), Penal Code, or if the offense is a felony not designated as a |
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capital felony or a felony of the first, second, or third degree and |
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the maximum term of imprisonment that may be imposed for the offense |
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is longer than 60 years, unless the offense of which the jury has |
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found the defendant guilty is an offense that is punishable under |
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Section 21.02(h), Penal Code, or is listed in Section 3g(a)(1), |
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Article 42.12, [of this code] or the judgment contains an |
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affirmative finding under Section 3g(a)(2), Article 42.12, [of this
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code,] the court shall charge the jury in writing as follows: |
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"Under the law applicable in this case, the defendant, if |
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sentenced to a term of imprisonment, may earn time off the period of |
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incarceration imposed through the award of good conduct |
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time. Prison authorities may award good conduct time to a prisoner |
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who exhibits good behavior, diligence in carrying out prison work |
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assignments, and attempts at rehabilitation. If a prisoner |
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engages in misconduct, prison authorities may also take away all or |
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part of any good conduct time earned by the prisoner. |
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"It is also possible that the length of time for which the |
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defendant will be imprisoned might be reduced by the award of |
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parole. |
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"Under the law applicable in this case, if the defendant is |
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sentenced to a term of imprisonment, he will not become eligible for |
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parole until the actual time served plus any good conduct time |
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earned equals one-fourth of the sentence imposed or 15 years, |
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whichever is less. Eligibility for parole does not guarantee that |
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parole will be granted. |
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"It cannot accurately be predicted how the parole law and |
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good conduct time might be applied to this defendant if he is |
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sentenced to a term of imprisonment, because the application of |
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these laws will depend on decisions made by prison and parole |
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authorities. |
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"You may consider the existence of the parole law and good |
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conduct time. However, you are not to consider the extent to which |
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good conduct time may be awarded to or forfeited by this particular |
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defendant. You are not to consider the manner in which the parole |
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law may be applied to this particular defendant." |
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SECTION 2. Section 3g(a), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, as amended by Chapters 405 (S.B. 877) and 593 (H.B. 8), |
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Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, is reenacted |
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and amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The provisions of Section 3 of this article do not |
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apply: |
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(1) to a defendant adjudged guilty of an offense |
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under: |
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(A) Section 19.02, Penal Code (Murder); |
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(B) Section 19.03, Penal Code (Capital murder); |
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(C) Section 21.11(a)(1), Penal Code (Indecency |
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with a child); |
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(D) Section 20.04, Penal Code (Aggravated |
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kidnapping); |
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(E) Section 22.021, Penal Code (Aggravated |
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sexual assault); |
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(F) Section 29.03, Penal Code (Aggravated |
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robbery); |
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(G) Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, for |
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which punishment is increased under: |
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(i) Section 481.140, Health and Safety |
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Code; or |
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(ii) Section 481.134(c), (d), (e), or (f), |
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Health and Safety Code, if it is shown that the defendant has been |
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previously convicted of an offense for which punishment was |
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increased under any of those subsections; |
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(H) Section 22.011, Penal Code (Sexual assault); |
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[or] |
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(I) Section 22.04(a)(1), Penal Code (Injury to a |
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child, elderly individual, or disabled individual), if the offense |
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is punishable as a felony of the first degree and the victim of the |
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offense is a child; or |
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(J) [(I)] Section 43.25, Penal Code (Sexual |
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performance by a child); or |
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(2) to a defendant when it is shown that a deadly |
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weapon as defined in Section 1.07, Penal Code, was used or exhibited |
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during the commission of a felony offense or during immediate |
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flight therefrom, and that the defendant used or exhibited the |
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deadly weapon or was a party to the offense and knew that a deadly |
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weapon would be used or exhibited. On an affirmative finding under |
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this subdivision, the trial court shall enter the finding in the |
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judgment of the court. On an affirmative finding that the deadly |
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weapon was a firearm, the court shall enter that finding in its |
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judgment. |
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SECTION 3. Section 4(d), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, as amended by Chapters 593 (H.B. 8) and 1205 (H.B. 1678), |
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Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, is reenacted |
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and amended to read as follows: |
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(d) A defendant is not eligible for community supervision |
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under this section if the defendant: |
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(1) is sentenced to a term of imprisonment that |
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exceeds 10 years; |
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(2) is convicted of a state jail felony for which |
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suspension of the imposition of the sentence occurs automatically |
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under Section 15(a); |
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(3) does not file a sworn motion under Subsection (e) |
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of this section or for whom the jury does not enter in the verdict a |
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finding that the information contained in the motion is true; |
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(4) is convicted of an offense for which punishment is |
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increased under Section 481.134(c), (d), (e), or (f), Health and |
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Safety Code, if it is shown that the defendant has been previously |
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convicted of an offense for which punishment was increased under |
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any one of those subsections; |
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(5) is convicted of an offense listed in Section |
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3g(a)(1)(E) [3g(a)(1)(C), (E), or (H)], if the victim of the |
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offense was younger than 14 years of age at the time the offense was |
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committed; |
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(6) is convicted of an offense listed in Section |
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3g(a)(1)(D), if the victim of the offense was younger than 17 [14] |
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years of age at the time the offense was committed and the actor |
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committed the offense with the intent to violate or abuse the victim |
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sexually; [or] |
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(7) is convicted of an offense listed in Section |
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3g(a)(1)(C) or (J), other than a conviction for which the judgment |
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in the case contains an affirmative finding under Article 42.017; |
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or |
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(8) [3g(a)(1)(I)] is adjudged guilty of an offense |
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under Section 19.02, Penal Code. |
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SECTION 4. Section 508.046, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 508.046. EXTRAORDINARY VOTE REQUIRED. To release on |
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parole an inmate who was convicted of an offense under Section |
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[21.02,] 21.11(a)(1)[,] or 22.021, Penal Code, and is not |
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ineligible for release on parole or an inmate who is required under |
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Section 508.145(c) to serve 35 calendar years before becoming |
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eligible for release on parole, all members of the board must vote |
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on the release on parole of the inmate, and at least two-thirds of |
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the members must vote in favor of the release on parole. A member |
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of the board may not vote on the release unless the member first |
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receives a copy of a written report from the department on the |
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probability that the inmate would commit an offense after being |
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released on parole. |
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SECTION 5. Section 508.187(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) This section applies only to a releasee serving a |
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sentence for an offense under: |
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(1) Section 43.25 or 43.26, Penal Code; |
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(2) Section [21.02,] 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, or 25.02, |
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Penal Code; |
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(3) Section 20.04(a)(4), Penal Code, if the releasee |
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committed the offense with the intent to violate or abuse the victim |
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sexually; or |
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(4) Section 30.02, Penal Code, punishable under |
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Subsection (d) of that section, if the releasee committed the |
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offense with the intent to commit a felony listed in Subdivision (2) |
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or (3). |
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SECTION 6. Section 508.189(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or |
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mandatory supervision that a releasee convicted of an offense under |
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Section [21.02,] 21.08, 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, 25.02, 43.25, or |
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43.26, Penal Code, pay to the division a parole supervision fee of |
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$5 each month during the period of parole supervision. |
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SECTION 7. Section 38.05(d), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(d) An offense under this section is a felony of the third |
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degree if the person who is harbored, concealed, provided with a |
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means of avoiding arrest or effecting escape, or warned of |
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discovery or apprehension is under arrest for, charged with, or |
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convicted of a felony, including an offense under Article [Section] |
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62.102, Code of Criminal Procedure, or is in custody or detention |
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for, is alleged in a petition to have engaged in, or has been |
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adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct that violates a |
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penal law of the grade of felony, including an offense under Article |
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[Section] 62.102, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the person |
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charged under this section knew that the person they harbored, |
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concealed, provided with a means of avoiding arrest or effecting |
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escape, or warned of discovery or apprehension is under arrest for, |
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charged with, or convicted of a felony, or is in custody or |
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detention for, is alleged in a petition to have engaged in, or has |
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been adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct that |
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violates a penal law of the grade of felony. |
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SECTION 8. Section 508.117(g)(2-a), Government Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 9. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails |
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over another Act of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, |
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relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted |
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codes. |
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SECTION 10. The change in law made by this Act in reenacting |
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and amending Section 4(d), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, applies only to an offense committed on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the |
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effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the |
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offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was |
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committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of |
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the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |