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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the criminal offense of stalking. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 42.072(a), Penal Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A person commits an offense if the person, on more than |
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one occasion and pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct |
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that is directed specifically at the victim [another person], |
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knowingly engages in conduct that: |
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(1) constitutes an offense under Section 42.07, or |
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that the actor knows or reasonably should know the victim [other
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person] will regard as threatening: |
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(A) bodily injury or death for the victim [other
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person]; |
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(B) bodily injury or death for: |
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(i) a member of the victim's [other
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person's] family or household; or |
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(ii) [for] an individual with whom the |
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victim [other person] has a dating relationship; or |
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(C) that an offense will be committed against the |
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victim's [other person's] property; |
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(2) causes the victim [other person], a member of the |
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victim's [other person's] family or household, or an individual |
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with whom the victim [other person] has a dating relationship: |
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(A) to be placed in fear of bodily injury or death |
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or [in fear] that an offense will be committed against the victim's |
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[other person's] property;[,] or |
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(B) to feel harassed, annoyed, alarmed, abused, |
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tormented, embarrassed, or offended; and |
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(3) would cause a reasonable person to: |
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(A) fear bodily injury or death for himself or |
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herself; |
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(B) fear bodily injury or death for: |
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(i) a member of the person's family or |
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household; or |
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(ii) [for] an individual with whom the |
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person has a dating relationship; |
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(C) fear that an offense will be committed |
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against the person's property; or |
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(D) feel harassed, annoyed, alarmed, abused, |
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tormented, embarrassed, or offended. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |