Bill Text: TX HB259 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to forfeiture of property used in the commission of certain littering offenses.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-20 - Left pending in committee [HB259 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB259-Introduced.html

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84R1445 JRR-D
By: Miles H.B. No. 259

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to forfeiture of property used in the commission of
certain littering offenses.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 59.01(2), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
amended by Chapters 427 (S.B. 529) and 1357 (S.B. 1451), Acts of the
83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is reenacted and amended
to read as follows:
(2) "Contraband" means property of any nature,
including real, personal, tangible, or intangible, that is:
(A) used in the commission of:
(i) any first or second degree felony under
the Penal Code;
(ii) any felony under Section 15.031(b),
20.05, 21.11, 38.04, or Chapter 43, 20A, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 33A, or
35, Penal Code;
(iii) any felony under The Securities Act
(Article 581-1 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); or
(iv) any offense under Chapter 49, Penal
Code, that is punishable as a felony of the third degree or state
jail felony, if the defendant has been previously convicted three
times of an offense under that chapter;
(B) used or intended to be used in the commission
of:
(i) any felony under Chapter 481, Health
and Safety Code (Texas Controlled Substances Act);
(ii) any felony under Chapter 483, Health
and Safety Code;
(iii) a felony under Chapter 151, Finance
Code;
(iv) any felony under Chapter 34, Penal
Code;
(v) an offense [a Class A misdemeanor]
under Subchapter B, Chapter 365, Health and Safety Code, that is:
(a) a felony; or
(b) a Class A misdemeanor, if the
defendant has been previously convicted twice of an offense under
that subchapter;
(vi) any felony under Chapter 32, Human
Resources Code, or Chapter 31, 32, 35A, or 37, Penal Code, that
involves the state Medicaid program;
(vii) a Class B misdemeanor under Chapter
522, Business & Commerce Code;
(viii) a Class A misdemeanor under Section
306.051, Business & Commerce Code;
(ix) any offense under Section 42.10, Penal
Code;
(x) any offense under Section 46.06(a)(1)
or 46.14, Penal Code;
(xi) any offense under Chapter 71, Penal
Code;
(xii) any offense under Section 20.05,
Penal Code; or
(xiii) [xiv] an offense under Section
326.002, Business & Commerce Code;
(C) the proceeds gained from the commission of a
felony listed in Paragraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision, a
misdemeanor listed in Paragraph (B)(vii), (ix), (x), or (xi) of
this subdivision, or a crime of violence;
(D) acquired with proceeds gained from the
commission of a felony listed in Paragraph (A) or (B) of this
subdivision, a misdemeanor listed in Paragraph (B)(vii), (ix), (x),
or (xi) of this subdivision, or a crime of violence;
(E) used to facilitate or intended to be used to
facilitate the commission of a felony under Section 15.031 or
43.25, Penal Code; or
(F) used to facilitate or intended to be used to
facilitate the commission of a felony under Section 20A.02 or
Chapter 43, Penal Code.
SECTION 2. Section 365.012(i), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(i) On conviction for any misdemeanor [an offense] under
this section, the court shall provide to the defendant written
notice that a subsequent conviction for an offense under this
section may result in the forfeiture under Chapter 59, Code of
Criminal Procedure, of the vehicle used by the defendant in
committing the offense.
SECTION 3. 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 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.