BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1208

By: King

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a person commits the Class B misdemeanor offense of interference with public duties if the person interrupts, disrupts, impedes, or otherwise interferes with certain public servants while they are performing their official duties. The bill sponsor has informed the committee that this statute is especially important for law enforcement who, when working a traffic stop or accident scene, often encounter individuals who yell or encroach on the officer's physical space, causing unnecessary distractions and escalations. The bill sponsor has further informed the committee that the punishment for this crime is insufficient to discourage this behavior. S.B. 1208 seeks to protect law enforcement officers and enhance public safety by increasing the penalty for the offense of interference with public duties.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1208 amends the Penal Code to increase the penalty for interference with public duties from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony.

S.B. 1208 applies only to an offense committed on or after the bill's effective date. An offense committed before the bill's effective date 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 these purposes, an offense was committed before the bill's effective date if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.