By: Geren, Lozano (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.B. No. 3628

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2015; May 13, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 14, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 14, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the adoption by the Department of Public Safety of rules governing the use of unmanned aircraft in the Capitol Complex; creating a criminal offense.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 411.062, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:

(d-1) The director shall adopt rules governing the use of unmanned aircraft in the Capitol Complex. The rules adopted under this subsection may:

(1) prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft in the Capitol Complex; or

(2) authorize limited use of unmanned aircraft in the Capitol Complex.

SECTION 2. Section 411.065(b), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor, except that an offense is a Class B misdemeanor if the person violates a rule adopted under Section 411.062(d-1).

SECTION 3. (a) The director of the Department of Public Safety shall adopt the rules required by Section 411.062(d-1), Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than December 1, 2015.

(b) The change in law made by this Act to Section 411.065, Government Code, applies only to an offense committed on or after December 1, 2015. An offense committed before that date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed before December 1, 2015, if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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