| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to requiring attendance in an educational program on |
|
|
finding that an offense was committed because of bias or prejudice. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Article 42.014(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) The sentencing judge shall [may], as a condition of |
|
|
punishment, require attendance in an educational program to further |
|
|
tolerance and acceptance of others. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
|
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
|
|
governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and |
|
|
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
|
|
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
|
|
before that date. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |