By: Metcalf (Senate Sponsor - Creighton) H.B. No. 2594
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2025;
  May 9, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
  Justice; May 27, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 27, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the venue for the prosecution of certain criminal
  conduct involving theft.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 13A.251, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  An offense involving theft of intangible personal
  property may be prosecuted in the county:
               (1)  in which the person whose property was unlawfully
  appropriated resides;
               (2)  in which the defendant is apprehended; or
               (3)  to which the defendant is extradited.
         SECTION 2.  Article 13A.501, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 13A.501.  ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.  
  Engaging in organized criminal activity may be prosecuted in:
               (1)  any county in which an act is committed to effect
  an objective of the combination;
               (2)  if the prosecution is based on an offense
  involving theft of intangible personal property, the county:
                     (A)  in which the person whose property was
  unlawfully appropriated resides;
                     (B)  in which the defendant is apprehended; or
                     (C)  to which the defendant is extradited;
               (3)  if the prosecution is based on an offense
  classified as a felony under Chapter 32, Penal Code:
                     (A)  any county in which a victim resides;
                     (B)  the county in which the defendant is
  apprehended; or
                     (C)  the county to which the defendant is
  extradited; or
               (4) [(2)]  if the prosecution is based on an offense
  classified as a felony under the Tax Code, any county in which venue
  is proper under the Tax Code for the offense.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to the prosecution of an offense committed on or after the effective
  date of this Act. The prosecution of 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 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
 
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