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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the offense of terrorism; creating a criminal offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS |
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SECTION 1. The Penal Code is amended by adding Chapter 72, |
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and a heading is added to that chapter, to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 72. TERRORISM |
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Sec. 72.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Person" means an individual or a group of three or |
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more individuals, a corporation, association, limited liability |
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company, or other entity or organization governed by the Business |
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Organizations Code. |
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(2) "Terrorism" means the commission of violent |
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offences that intentionally promote terror on human life that would |
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be considered a violent act under this states laws whether |
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committed in this state or not. |
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(3) "Terrorist" means a person that willfully and |
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deliberately threatens to commit or commits a terroristic act. |
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(4) "Terrorist Organization" means a group of three or |
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more persons pertaining to a foreign or domestic organization with |
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the intention to commit terrorism. |
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(5) "Terroristic Act" means an act committed with the |
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intent to cause undue public harm through terror by: |
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(A) intimidating, injuring, or coercing the |
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civilian population; |
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(B) influencing the policy of government by |
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intimidation or coercion; |
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(C) affecting the conduct of government; |
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(D) causing the interruption of public |
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communication; |
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(E) causing the interruption for public |
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transportation; |
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(F) causing the interruption of public or private |
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facility operations, public utilities, or other public services; or |
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(G) causing damage to public or private property. |
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Sec. 72.02. TERRORISTIC THREAT. (a) has the meaning |
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assigned by Chapter 22 Sec. 22.07 of the Penal Code |
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Sec. 72.03. TERRORISTIC ATTACK. (a) a person commits an |
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offense when committing one or more of the following offenses |
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during a terroristic act: |
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(1) any offense under Section 22.07; |
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(2) any offense under Chapter 16; |
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(3) any offense under Chapter 19; |
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(4) any offense under Section 20.04, Section 20.05, or |
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Section 20.06; |
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(5) any offense under Section 22.01, Section 22.02, |
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Section 22.021, Section 22.05, Section 22.09, or Section 22.11; |
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(6) any offense under Section 28.02 or Section 28.03; |
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(7) any offense under Section 29.03; |
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(8) any offense under Section 30.05; |
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(9) any offense under Section 32.03, Section 32.43, or |
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Section 32.51; |
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(10) any offense under Section 33.02; |
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(11) any offense under Chapter 33A; |
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(12) any offense under Section 37.11 or Section 37.12; |
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(13) any felony offense under Section 38.05, Section |
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38.14, or Section 38.152; |
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(14) any offense under Section 42.06, Section 42.0601, |
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Section 42.062, or Section 42.14; |
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(15) any offense under Section 46.05, Section 46.08, |
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Section 46.09, or Section 46.14; |
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(16) any offense under Section 50.02; or |
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(17) any offense under Section 71.02. |
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(b) the punishment for the offense under this section is |
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increased to the punishment prescribed for the next highest |
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category of the offense that is listed in this section. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |