Bill Text: TX HB3644 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the offense of murder committed by the manufacture or delivery of certain controlled substances.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-16 - Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence [HB3644 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB3644-Introduced.html
  88R6852 CJD-D
 
  By: Cook H.B. No. 3644
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the offense of murder committed by the manufacture or
  delivery of certain controlled substances.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 19.02, Penal Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person [he]:
               (1)  intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an
  individual;
               (2)  intends to cause serious bodily injury and commits
  an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an
  individual; [or]
               (3)  commits or attempts to commit a felony, other than
  manslaughter, and in the course of and in furtherance of the
  commission or attempt, or in immediate flight from the commission
  or attempt, the person [he] commits or attempts to commit an act
  clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an
  individual; or
               (4)  knowingly manufactures or delivers a controlled
  substance listed in Penalty Group 1-B under Section 481.1022,
  Health and Safety Code, in violation of Section 481.1123, Health
  and Safety Code, and an individual dies as a result of injecting,
  ingesting, inhaling, or introducing into the individual's body any
  amount of the controlled substance manufactured or delivered by the
  actor, regardless of whether the controlled substance was used by
  itself or with another substance, including a drug, adulterant, or
  dilutant.
         (e)  It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (b)(4)
  that the actor's conduct in manufacturing or delivering the
  controlled substance was authorized under Chapter 481, Health and
  Safety Code, or other state or federal law.
         SECTION 2.  Section 481.141, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (d)  Punishment may not be increased under this section if
  the defendant is also prosecuted under Section 19.02(b)(4), Penal
  Code, for conduct occurring during the same criminal episode.
         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 was
  committed before that date.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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