88R4104 AJZ-F
 
  By: Gervin-Hawkins H.B. No. 485
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain offenses
  committed in a vehicle operated by a public transportation system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 12, Penal Code, is amended
  by adding Section 12.502 to read as follows:
         Sec. 12.502.  PENALTY IF OFFENSE COMMITTED IN PUBLIC
  TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE. (a)  Subject to Subsection (c), the
  punishment for an offense described by Subsection (b) is increased
  to the punishment prescribed for the next higher category of
  offense if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the offense
  was committed in a vehicle operated by an authority created under
  Chapter 451, 452, 453, 457, 458, or 460, Transportation Code.
         (b)  The increase in punishment authorized by this section
  applies only to an offense under Chapter 21, 22, or 29.
         (c)  If an offense described by Subsection (b) is punishable
  as a Class A misdemeanor, the minimum term of confinement for the
  offense is increased to 180 days. If an offense described by
  Subsection (b) is punishable as a felony of the first degree, the
  punishment for that offense may not be increased under this
  section.
         (d)  For the purposes of this section, "vehicle" means a bus,
  a railcar, rolling stock, or another vehicle used by the public for
  mass transit purposes.
         SECTION 2.  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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.