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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for the criminal offense of use of laser |
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pointers; increasing a criminal penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 42.13, Penal Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read |
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as follows: |
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(c) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor, |
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except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if the |
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conduct causes serious bodily injury to the officer. |
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(d) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that |
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at the time of the offense the actor was discharging the actor's |
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duties as a lighting technician at a venue which produces or hosts |
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events involving laser pointers, including a concert or similar |
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event. |
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(e) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this |
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section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor |
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may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both. |
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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 was |
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committed before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |