Bill Text: TX HB631 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the impersonation of a state agency website or an associated website; providing a criminal penalty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-18 - Left pending in committee [HB631 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB631-Introduced.html
84R2237 GRM-D | ||
By: Bonnen of Galveston | H.B. No. 631 |
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relating to the impersonation of a state agency website or an | ||
associated website; providing a criminal penalty. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 2054.012 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 2054.012. FRAUDULENT STATE AGENCY WEB PAGE PROHIBITED. | ||
(a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Benefit" and "harm" have the meanings assigned by | ||
Section 1.07, Penal Code. | ||
(2) "State agency" means a board, commission, | ||
department, office, or other agency in the executive branch of | ||
state government that is created by the constitution or a statute of | ||
this state, including an institution of higher education as defined | ||
by Section 61.003, Education Code. | ||
(b) A person commits an offense if the person, without | ||
obtaining the state agency's consent and with the intent to obtain a | ||
benefit or harm or defraud another, creates or maintains on an | ||
Internet site a web page that is represented as an official web page | ||
of or a web page associated with a state agency. | ||
(c) An offense under this section is a felony of the third | ||
degree. | ||
(d) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this | ||
section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the person | ||
may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both. | ||
(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this | ||
section that the person: | ||
(1) discloses in unambiguous language to each visitor | ||
to the web page that the web page is not associated with this state | ||
or an agency, department, or institution of this state; and | ||
(2) requires each visitor to the web page to | ||
affirmatively acknowledge that the web page is not associated with | ||
this state or an agency, department, or institution of this state. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |