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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for certain criminal offenses related to |
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cultivated oyster mariculture; increasing a criminal penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 75.0107, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and |
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(b-2) to read as follows: |
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(b) A person commits an offense if the person [who] |
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violates: |
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(1) Section 75.0104(a) or 75.0106; or |
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(2) a rule adopted under this chapter. |
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(b-1) An [commits an] offense under Subsection (b)(1) |
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[that] is a Class B Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor, except that |
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the offense is a Class A Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor if it |
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is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant has been |
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previously convicted of an offense under Subsection (b)(1) during |
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the five-year period preceding the date of the trial of the current |
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offense. |
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(b-2) An offense under Subsection (b)(2) is a Class C Parks |
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and Wildlife Code misdemeanor, except that the offense is a Class B |
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Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of |
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the offense that the defendant has been previously convicted of an |
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offense under Subsection (b)(2) two or more times during the |
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five-year period preceding the date of the trial of the current |
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offense. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |