86R10821 JCG-F
 
  By: Whitmire S.B. No. 1701
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the operation of unmanned aircraft over certain
  facilities; creating a criminal offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 423, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Section 423.0047 to read as follows:
         Sec. 423.0047.  OFFENSE: OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT OVER
  OR NEAR SCHOOL. (a) In this section, "school" means any
  instructional or noninstructional facility owned or operated by:
               (1)  a public or private elementary or secondary
  school; or
               (2)  an institution of higher education or a private or
  independent institution of higher education, as those terms are
  defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person intentionally
  or knowingly operates an unmanned aircraft over a school or within
  1,000 feet of the school.
         (c)  This section does not apply to conduct described by
  Subsection (b) that is committed by:
               (1)  the federal government, the state, or a
  governmental entity;
               (2)  a person under contract with or otherwise acting
  under the direction or on behalf of the federal government, the
  state, or a governmental entity;
               (3)  a law enforcement agency that provides to a school
  prior notice of the agency's operation of an unmanned aircraft over
  or near the school;
               (4)  a person under contract with or otherwise acting
  under the direction or on behalf of a law enforcement agency that
  provides prior notice as described by Subdivision (3);
               (5)  an operator of an unmanned aircraft that is being
  used for a commercial purpose, if the operation is conducted in
  compliance with:
                     (A)  each applicable Federal Aviation
  Administration rule, restriction, or exemption; and
                     (B)  all required Federal Aviation Administration
  authorizations;
               (6)  a person under contract with or otherwise acting
  under the direction or on behalf of the governing body of the
  school; or
               (7)  a person who has the prior written consent of the
  person who is primarily responsible for the security of the school.
         (d)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor,
  except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the actor has
  previously been convicted under this section or Section 423.0045 or
  423.0046.
         SECTION 2.  Section 423.0045(d), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (d)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor,
  except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the actor has
  previously been convicted under this section or Section 423.0046 or
  423.0047.
         SECTION 3.  Section 423.0046(d), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (d)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor,
  except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the actor has
  previously been convicted under this section or Section 423.0045 or
  423.0047.
         SECTION 4.  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 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.