Bill Text: TX HB420 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the admissibility of certain evidence relating to climate change or global warming in certain criminal cases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-21 - Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence [HB420 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB420-Introduced.html
| 85R559 JRR-D | ||
| By: White | H.B. No. 420 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to the admissibility of certain evidence relating to | ||
| climate change or global warming in certain criminal cases. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended by adding Article 38.51 to read as follows: | ||
| Art. 38.51. ADMISSIBILITY OF CERTAIN EVIDENCE RELATING TO | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE OR GLOBAL WARMING IN CERTAIN CASES. Evidence | ||
| relating to the defendant's theories, beliefs, or statements on | ||
| climate change or global warming, including causes of climate | ||
| change or global warming, is not admissible as proof of an element | ||
| of an offense involving: | ||
| (1) fraud or a fraudulent or deceptive practice; or | ||
| (2) any false or misleading statement, | ||
| representation, or information. | ||
| SECTION 2. Article 38.51, Code of Criminal Procedure, as | ||
| added by this Act, applies only to a criminal case in which the voir | ||
| dire examination begins on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| A criminal case in which the voir dire examination begins before the | ||
| effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the | ||
| examination begins, and the former law is continued in effect for | ||
| that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
