83R5227 ATP-D
 
  By: Miller of Fort Bend H.B. No. 1564
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the penalty for theft of an official ballot or official
  carrier envelope for an election.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 31.03(e), Penal Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (e)  Except as provided by Subsection (f), an offense under
  this section is:
               (1)  a Class C misdemeanor if the value of the property
  stolen is less than:
                     (A)  $50; or
                     (B)  $20 and the defendant obtained the property
  by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order in a manner
  described by Section 31.06;
               (2)  a Class B misdemeanor if:
                     (A)  the value of the property stolen is:
                           (i)  $50 or more but less than $500; or
                           (ii)  $20 or more but less than $500 and the
  defendant obtained the property by issuing or passing a check or
  similar sight order in a manner described by Section 31.06;
                     (B)  the value of the property stolen is less
  than:
                           (i)  $50 and the defendant has previously
  been convicted of any grade of theft; or
                           (ii)  $20, the defendant has previously been
  convicted of any grade of theft, and the defendant obtained the
  property by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order in a
  manner described by Section 31.06; or
                     (C)  the property stolen is a driver's license,
  commercial driver's license, or personal identification
  certificate issued by this state or another state;
               (3)  a Class A misdemeanor if the value of the property
  stolen is $500 or more but less than $1,500;
               (4)  a state jail felony if:
                     (A)  the value of the property stolen is $1,500 or
  more but less than $20,000, or the property is less than 10 head of
  sheep, swine, or goats or any part thereof under the value of
  $20,000;
                     (B)  regardless of value, the property is stolen
  from the person of another or from a human corpse or grave,
  including property that is a military grave marker;
                     (C)  the property stolen is a firearm, as defined
  by Section 46.01;
                     (D)  the value of the property stolen is less than
  $1,500 and the defendant has been previously convicted two or more
  times of any grade of theft; or
                     (E)  [the property stolen is an official ballot or
  official carrier envelope for an election; or
                     [(F)]  the value of the property stolen is less
  than $20,000 and the property stolen is:
                           (i)  aluminum;
                           (ii)  bronze;
                           (iii)  copper; or
                           (iv)  brass;
               (5)  a felony of the third degree if the value of the
  property stolen is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000, or the
  property is:
                     (A)  cattle, horses, or exotic livestock or exotic
  fowl as defined by Section 142.001, Agriculture Code, stolen during
  a single transaction and having an aggregate value of less than
  $100,000; [or]
                     (B)  10 or more head of sheep, swine, or goats
  stolen during a single transaction and having an aggregate value of
  less than $100,000; or
                     (C)  an official ballot or official carrier
  envelope for an election;
               (6)  a felony of the second degree if:
                     (A)  the value of the property stolen is $100,000
  or more but less than $200,000; or
                     (B)  the value of the property stolen is less than
  $200,000 and the property stolen is an automated teller machine or
  the contents or components of an automated teller machine; or
               (7)  a felony of the first degree if the value of the
  property stolen is $200,000 or more.
         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 is committed before the effective date of
  this Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.