| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to the penalty for the offense of reckless driving. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 545.401, Transportation Code, is amended |
|
|
by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (e), (f), (g), |
|
|
and (h) to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (e), an [An] offense |
|
|
under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by: |
|
|
(1) a fine not to exceed $200; |
|
|
(2) confinement in county jail for not more than 30 |
|
|
days; or |
|
|
(3) both the fine and the confinement. |
|
|
(e) If an offense under this section results in the serious |
|
|
bodily injury or death of an operator or passenger of another motor |
|
|
vehicle, the offense is a Class B misdemeanor. |
|
|
(f) The court may: |
|
|
(1) order that the driver's license of a person |
|
|
convicted of an offense under Subsection (e) be suspended for not |
|
|
less than 30 days beginning on the date of conviction; and |
|
|
(2) require the person to attend and present proof |
|
|
that the person successfully completed a driving safety course |
|
|
approved under Chapter 1001, Education Code, before the person's |
|
|
driver's license may be reinstated. |
|
|
(g) A judge, acting under Article 42.12, Code of Criminal |
|
|
Procedure, who elects to place a defendant charged with an offense |
|
|
under this section on community supervision under that article may |
|
|
require the defendant to attend and present proof that the |
|
|
defendant successfully completed a driving safety course approved |
|
|
under Chapter 1001, Education Code. |
|
|
(h) A person who is subject to prosecution under both this |
|
|
section and another section of this or any other code may be |
|
|
prosecuted under either or both sections. |
|
|
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 |
|
|
covered 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 was committed before that |
|
|
date. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |