S.B. No. 1416
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the offense of possession, manufacture,
  transportation, repair, or sale of a tire deflation device and to
  the offense of attempting to evade arrest through the use of a
  vehicle or a tire deflation device; providing criminal penalties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 46.01, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Subdivision (17) to read as follows:
               (17)  "Tire deflation device" means a device, including
  a caltrop or spike strip, that, when driven over, impedes or stops
  the movement of a wheeled vehicle by puncturing one or more of the
  vehicle's tires.  The term does not include a traffic control device
  that:
                     (A)  is designed to puncture one or more of a
  vehicle's tires when driven over in a specific direction; and
                     (B)  has a clearly visible sign posted in close
  proximity to the traffic control device that prohibits entry or
  warns motor vehicle operators of the traffic control device.
         SECTION 2.  Subsections (a), (d), and (e), Section 46.05,
  Penal Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if the person [he]
  intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports,
  repairs, or sells:
               (1)  an explosive weapon;
               (2)  a machine gun;
               (3)  a short-barrel firearm;
               (4)  a firearm silencer;
               (5)  a switchblade knife;
               (6)  knuckles;
               (7)  armor-piercing ammunition;
               (8)  a chemical dispensing device; [or]
               (9)  a zip gun; or
               (10)  a tire deflation device.
         (d)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
  section that the actor's conduct:
               (1)  was incidental to dealing with a switchblade
  knife, springblade knife, [or] short-barrel firearm, or tire
  deflation device solely as an antique or curio; [or]
               (2)  was incidental to dealing with armor-piercing
  ammunition solely for the purpose of making the ammunition
  available to an organization, agency, or institution listed in
  Subsection (b); or
               (3)  was incidental to dealing with a tire deflation
  device solely for the purpose of making the device available to an
  organization, agency, or institution listed in Subsection (b).
         (e)  An offense under Subsection (a)(1), (2), (3), (4), (7),
  (8), or (9) [this section] is a felony of the third degree [unless
  it is committed under Subsection (a)(5) or (a)(6), in which event,
  it is a Class A misdemeanor].  An offense under Subsection (a)(10)
  is a state jail felony.  An offense under Subsection (a)(5) or (6)
  is a Class A misdemeanor.
         SECTION 3.  Subsections (b) and (c), Section 38.04, Penal
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
  except that the offense is:
               (1)  a state jail felony if[:
                     [(A)]  the actor has been previously convicted
  under this section; [or
                     [(B)     the actor uses a vehicle while the actor is
  in flight and the actor has not been previously convicted under this
  section;]
               (2)  a felony of the third degree if:
                     (A)  the actor uses a vehicle while the actor is in
  flight [and the actor has been previously convicted under this
  section]; [or]
                     (B)  another suffers serious bodily injury as a
  direct result of an attempt by the officer from whom the actor is
  fleeing to apprehend the actor while the actor is in flight; or
                     (C)  the actor uses a tire deflation device
  against the officer while the actor is in flight; or
               (3)  a felony of the second degree if:
                     (A)  another suffers death as a direct result of
  an attempt by the officer from whom the actor is fleeing to
  apprehend the actor while the actor is in flight; or
                     (B)  another suffers serious bodily injury as a
  direct result of the actor's use of a tire deflation device while
  the actor is in flight.
         (c)  In this section:
               (1)  "Vehicle"[, "vehicle"] has the meaning assigned by
  Section 541.201, Transportation Code.
               (2)  "Tire deflation device" has the meaning assigned
  by Section 46.01.
         SECTION 4.  Section 38.04, Penal Code, as amended 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 on the date 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 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1416 passed the Senate on
  April 11, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 27, 2011, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1416 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 20, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 147,
  Nays 0, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor