| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to disorderly or threatening behavior and measures by |
|
|
public schools and institutions of higher education to prevent that |
|
|
behavior; increasing criminal penalties; creating a criminal |
|
|
offense. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 29.932 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 29.932. GENERAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN REGARDING |
|
|
CONSEQUENCES OF ENGAGING IN DISORDERLY OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR. |
|
|
(a) In this section, "doxing" means to intentionally post on a |
|
|
publicly accessible website the private, sensitive, or identifying |
|
|
information of a person: |
|
|
(1) without the person's consent; and |
|
|
(2) with the intent to incite violence against or |
|
|
otherwise harass or intimidate the person. |
|
|
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
|
|
shall develop and implement an annual comprehensive prevention and |
|
|
outreach program for students on the consequences of engaging in |
|
|
disorderly or threatening behavior, including the consequences of |
|
|
doxing a person or engaging in conduct that otherwise constitutes a |
|
|
criminal offense under Section 22.07, 42.06, 42.0601, 42.074, or |
|
|
46.08, Penal Code. The program must include: |
|
|
(1) a general awareness campaign; and |
|
|
(2) the provision of information to students and |
|
|
parents or guardians of students regarding: |
|
|
(A) responsible online behavior; and |
|
|
(B) procedures for reporting suspicious activity |
|
|
involving disorderly or threatening behavior. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 37.091 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 37.091. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION REGARDING STUDENT |
|
|
CONDUCT INVOLVING DISORDERLY OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR. A school |
|
|
district or open-enrollment charter school shall immediately |
|
|
notify a student's parent or guardian if the student is alleged to |
|
|
have engaged in conduct that contains the elements of an offense |
|
|
under Section 22.07, 42.06, 42.0601, 42.074, or 46.08, Penal Code. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 51.992 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 51.992. GENERAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN REGARDING |
|
|
CONSEQUENCES OF ENGAGING IN DISORDERLY OR THREATENING BEHAVIOR. |
|
|
(a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Doxing" means to intentionally post on a publicly |
|
|
accessible website the private, sensitive, or identifying |
|
|
information of a person: |
|
|
(A) without the person's consent; and |
|
|
(B) with the intent to incite violence against or |
|
|
otherwise harass or intimidate the person. |
|
|
(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
|
|
assigned by Section 61.003. |
|
|
(b) Each institution of higher education shall develop and |
|
|
implement an annual comprehensive prevention and outreach program |
|
|
for students on the consequences of engaging in disorderly or |
|
|
threatening behavior, including the consequences of doxing a person |
|
|
or engaging in conduct that otherwise constitutes a criminal |
|
|
offense under Section 22.07, 42.06, 42.0601, 42.074, or 46.08, |
|
|
Penal Code. The program must include: |
|
|
(1) a general awareness campaign; and |
|
|
(2) the provision of information to students |
|
|
regarding: |
|
|
(A) responsible online behavior; and |
|
|
(B) procedures for reporting suspicious activity |
|
|
involving disorderly or threatening behavior. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 22.07(c-1), Penal Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c) [(c)(2)], an offense |
|
|
under Subsection (a)(2) is a state jail felony if the offense is |
|
|
committed against a person the actor knows is: |
|
|
(1) a peace officer or judge; or |
|
|
(2) an employee or student of a public or private |
|
|
primary or secondary school or postsecondary educational |
|
|
institution. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Section 42.074(b), Penal Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor, |
|
|
except that the offense is: |
|
|
(1) a Class A misdemeanor if the offense results in the |
|
|
bodily injury of: |
|
|
(A) [(1)] the individual whose residence address |
|
|
or telephone number was posted on a publicly accessible website; or |
|
|
(B) [(2)] a member of the individual's family or |
|
|
household; or |
|
|
(2) a state jail felony if the individual whose |
|
|
residence address or telephone number was posted on a publicly |
|
|
accessible website is an employee or student of a public or private |
|
|
primary or secondary school or postsecondary educational |
|
|
institution. |
|
|
SECTION 6. Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Section 42.0745 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 42.0745. PARENTAL FAILURE TO STOP UNLAWFUL DISCLOSURE |
|
|
OF RESIDENCE ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER. (a) In this section, |
|
|
"child" means a person younger than 18 years of age. |
|
|
(b) A parent or legal guardian of a child commits an offense |
|
|
if the actor: |
|
|
(1) observes or otherwise has knowledge of the child |
|
|
engaging in conduct constituting an offense under Section 42.074; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) fails to take reasonable steps to stop the child |
|
|
from engaging in the conduct. |
|
|
(c) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor, |
|
|
except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the offense |
|
|
results in the bodily injury of: |
|
|
(1) the individual whose residence address or |
|
|
telephone number was posted on a publicly accessible website; or |
|
|
(2) a member of the individual's family or household. |
|
|
SECTION 7. Section 46.08(b), Penal Code, is amended to read |
|
|
as follows: |
|
|
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, |
|
|
except that the offense is a state jail felony if the actor intends |
|
|
to use the hoax bomb on the premises, grounds, or campus of a public |
|
|
or private primary or secondary school or postsecondary educational |
|
|
institution. |
|
|
SECTION 8. Section 29.932, Education Code, as added by this |
|
|
Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. |
|
|
SECTION 9. Section 51.992, Education Code, as added by this |
|
|
Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. |
|
|
SECTION 10. Sections 22.07, 42.074, and 46.08, Penal Code, |
|
|
as amended by this Act, apply 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 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |