Bill Text: TX HB902 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for assault of a pregnant woman.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 37-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-10 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB902 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB902-Comm_Sub.html
 
 
  By: Landgraf, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 902
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2019;
  April 24, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Criminal Justice; May 15, 2019, reported favorably by the
  following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to increasing the criminal penalty for assault of a
  pregnant woman.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 22.01(b), Penal Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (b)  An offense under Subsection (a)(1) is a Class A
  misdemeanor, except that the offense is a felony of the third degree
  if the offense is committed against:
               (1)  a person the actor knows is a public servant while
  the public servant is lawfully discharging an official duty, or in
  retaliation or on account of an exercise of official power or
  performance of an official duty as a public servant;
               (2)  a person whose relationship to or association with
  the defendant is described by Section 71.0021(b), 71.003, or
  71.005, Family Code, if:
                     (A)  it is shown on the trial of the offense that
  the defendant has been previously convicted of an offense under
  this chapter, Chapter 19, or Section 20.03, 20.04, 21.11, or 25.11
  against a person whose relationship to or association with the
  defendant is described by Section 71.0021(b), 71.003, or 71.005,
  Family Code; or
                     (B)  the offense is committed by intentionally,
  knowingly, or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or
  circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the
  person's throat or neck or by blocking the person's nose or mouth;
               (3)  a person who contracts with government to perform
  a service in a facility as defined by Section 1.07(a)(14), Penal
  Code, or Section 51.02(13) or (14), Family Code, or an employee of
  that person:
                     (A)  while the person or employee is engaged in
  performing a service within the scope of the contract, if the actor
  knows the person or employee is authorized by government to provide
  the service; or
                     (B)  in retaliation for or on account of the
  person's or employee's performance of a service within the scope of
  the contract;
               (4)  a person the actor knows is a security officer
  while the officer is performing a duty as a security officer;
               (5)  a person the actor knows is emergency services
  personnel while the person is providing emergency services; [or]
               (6)  a pregnant individual to force the individual to
  have an abortion; or
               (7)  a person the actor knows is pregnant at the time of
  the offense.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies 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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
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