| TO: | Honorable Pete Gallego, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3224 by Madden (Relating to the prosecution and punishment of the offense of arson.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Penal Code to make intentionally starting a fire or causing an explosion punishable as a state jail felony if a building belonging to another person is recklessly damaged or destroyed or another person suffers bodily injury or death. The bill would increase the punishment of recklessly damaging a building, habitation, or vehicle if the person intentionally started a fire in or on a building, habitation, or vehicle with the intent to damage or destroy property of another or injure another from a felony of the third degree to a felony of the first degree or felony of the second degree depending on the circumstances.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2009 and would apply to an offense committed on or after the effective date.
It is assumed many persons convicted under this statute are currently being charged with other offenses and additional persons convicted would not result in a significant impact on programs and workload of state corrections agencies or on the demand for resources and services of those agencies.
| Source Agencies: | 696 Department of Criminal Justice
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, ESi, GG, TMP
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