Bill Text: TX SB412 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the penalty for certain offenders for possession of a small amount of certain controlled substances.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-04 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB412 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB412-Introduced.html
  84R1621 JSC-D
 
  By: Ellis S.B. No. 412
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the penalty for certain offenders for possession of a
  small amount of certain controlled substances.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 481.115(b), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor
  [state jail felony] if the amount of the controlled substance
  possessed is, by aggregate weight, including adulterants or
  dilutants, less than one gram.
         SECTION 2.  Section 481.1151(b), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An offense under this section is:
               (1)  a Class A misdemeanor [state jail felony] if the
  number of abuse units of the controlled substance is fewer than 20;
               (2)  a felony of the third degree if the number of abuse
  units of the controlled substance is 20 or more but fewer than 80;
               (3)  a felony of the second degree if the number of
  abuse units of the controlled substance is 80 or more but fewer than
  4,000;
               (4)  a felony of the first degree if the number of abuse
  units of the controlled substance is 4,000 or more but fewer than
  8,000; and
               (5)  punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department
  of Criminal Justice for life or for a term of not more than 99 years
  or less than 15 years and a fine not to exceed $250,000, if the
  number of abuse units of the controlled substance is 8,000 or more.
         SECTION 3.  Section 481.116(b), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor
  [state jail felony] if the amount of the controlled substance
  possessed is, by aggregate weight, including adulterants or
  dilutants, less than one gram.
         SECTION 4.  Section 481.134(d), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  An offense otherwise punishable under Section
  481.112(b), 481.113(b), 481.114(b), [481.115(b), 481.116(b),]
  481.1161(b)(3), 481.120(b)(3), or 481.121(b)(3) is a felony of the
  third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the
  offense was committed:
               (1)  in, on, or within 1,000 feet of any real property
  that is owned, rented, or leased to a school or school board, the
  premises of a public or private youth center, or a playground; or
               (2)  on a school bus.
         SECTION 5.  Section 11, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (n) to read as follows:
         (n)  A judge who grants community supervision to a person
  convicted of a Class A misdemeanor under Section 481.115(b),
  481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b), or 481.1161(b)(2), Health and Safety
  Code, may require, as a condition of community supervision, that
  the person successfully complete an educational program on
  substance abuse awareness approved by the Department of State
  Health Services.
         SECTION 6.  Section 15(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
               (1)  On conviction of a state jail felony under Section
  [481.115(b), 481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b),] 481.1161(b)(3),
  481.121(b)(3), or 481.129(g)(1), Health and Safety Code, that is
  punished under Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge shall
  suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on
  community supervision, unless the defendant has previously been
  convicted of a felony, other than a felony punished under Section
  12.44(a), Penal Code, or unless the conviction resulted from an
  adjudication of the guilt of a defendant previously placed on
  deferred adjudication community supervision for the offense, in
  which event the judge may suspend the imposition of the sentence and
  place the defendant on community supervision or may order the
  sentence to be executed.  The provisions of this subdivision
  requiring the judge to suspend the imposition of the sentence and
  place the defendant on community supervision do not apply to a
  defendant who:
                     (A)  [under Section 481.1151(b)(1), Health and
  Safety Code, possessed more than five abuse units of the controlled
  substance;
                     [(B)]  under Section 481.1161(b)(3), Health and
  Safety Code, possessed more than one pound, by aggregate weight,
  including adulterants or dilutants, of the controlled substance; or
                     (B) [(C)]  under Section 481.121(b)(3), Health
  and Safety Code, possessed more than one pound of marihuana.
         SECTION 7.  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 was
  committed before that date.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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