| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to increasing the criminal penalty for causing certain |
|
|
assaultive physical contact with a child. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 22.01(c), Penal Code, is amended to read |
|
|
as follows: |
|
|
(c) An offense under Subsection (a)(2) or (3) is a Class C |
|
|
misdemeanor, except that the offense is: |
|
|
(1) a Class A misdemeanor if the offense is committed |
|
|
under Subsection (a)(3): |
|
|
(A) against an elderly individual or disabled |
|
|
individual[, as those terms are defined by Section 22.04]; or |
|
|
(B) against a child by a person who is 17 years of |
|
|
age or older at the time of the offense; or |
|
|
(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the offense is committed |
|
|
by a person who is not a sports participant against a person the |
|
|
actor knows is a sports participant either: |
|
|
(A) while the participant is performing duties or |
|
|
responsibilities in the participant's capacity as a sports |
|
|
participant; or |
|
|
(B) in retaliation for or on account of the |
|
|
participant's performance of a duty or responsibility within the |
|
|
participant's capacity as a sports participant. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 22.01(e), Penal Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subdivision (2) to read as follows: |
|
|
(2) "Child," "disabled individual," and "elderly |
|
|
individual" have the meanings assigned by Section 22.04. |
|
|
SECTION 3. 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 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 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |