86R14683 AJZ-F
 
  By: Lang H.B. No. 4502
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to creating the criminal offenses of terrorism and
  terroristic hoax.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 10, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Chapter 50 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 50. TERRORISM
         Sec. 50.01.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "terrorist
  organization" means any of the following:
               (1)  a domestic or foreign organization that engages or
  prepares to engage in the planning, preparation, commission, or
  support of an act of terrorism;
               (2)  a domestic or foreign organization that has the
  capability and intent to engage in an act of terrorism; or
               (3)  an organization designated as a foreign terrorist
  organization by the United States secretary of state as authorized
  by 8 U.S.C. Section 1189.
         Sec. 50.02.  TERRORISM. (a)  A person commits an offense if
  the person commits one or more offenses under Section 20.03 or
  engages in an act of violence that causes felony damage to property,
  serious bodily injury, or death, or threatens to commit such an
  offense, with the intent to:
               (1)  intimidate or coerce a civilian population to
  further the objectives of a terrorist organization;
               (2)  influence the policy or conduct of the state
  government by intimidation or coercion;
               (3)  support a broader ideological movement, including
  a nonviolent movement, with the objective of overthrowing the state
  government and replacing the existing form of government with a
  form of government that is not based on the essential principles of
  liberty; or
               (4)  retaliate for policy or conduct of the state
  government by intimidation or coercion.
         (b)  An offense under this section is a felony of the first
  degree.
         Sec. 50.03.  TERRORISTIC HOAX. (a)  A person commits an
  offense if the person knowingly simulates an offense under Section
  50.02 as a prank and:
               (1)  intentionally uses a substance to cause fear,
  intimidation, or anxiety in a person and to cause a reasonable
  belief by the person that the substance is placed, sent, delivered,
  or otherwise used as an act of biochemical or radiological
  terrorism requiring an emergency response or the evacuation or
  quarantine of a person, place, or item; or
               (2)  commits or threatens to commit an act of violence,
  sabotage, felony damage to property, or serious bodily injury with
  the intent to cause fear, intimidation, or anxiety in a person and a
  reasonable belief by the person that the act or threat is an act of
  terrorism to disrupt any place, population, or business in this
  state or to disrupt the state government.
         (b)  An offense under this section is a felony of the first
  degree.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply 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 when 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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.