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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the criminal consequences of operating without a valid |
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driver's license a motor vehicle for which financial responsibility |
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is not established. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as Eric's Law. |
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SECTION 2. Section 521.457, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subsections (e) and (f) and adding Subsection (f-2) to |
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read as follows: |
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(e) Except as provided by Subsections (f), [and] (f-1), and |
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(f-2), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. |
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(f) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor |
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if [If] it is shown on the trial of the [an] offense [under this
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section] that the person: |
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(1) has previously been convicted of an offense under |
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this section or an offense under Section 601.371(a), as that law |
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existed before September 1, 2003; or |
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(2) at the time of the offense, was operating the motor |
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vehicle in violation of Section 601.191 [, the offense is a Class B
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misdemeanor]. |
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(f-2) An offense under this section is a felony of the third |
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degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that at the time of |
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the offense the person was operating the motor vehicle in violation |
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of Section 601.191 and caused or was at fault in a motor vehicle |
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accident that resulted in serious bodily injury to or the death of |
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another person. |
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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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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 the |
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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 was |
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committed before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |