Bill Text: TX HB783 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Relating to certain offenses that involve impersonating a peace officer or other public servant and misrepresenting the nature of certain property.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-05-09 - Referred to Criminal Justice [HB783 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HB783-Comm_Sub.html
  82R5108 NAJ-D
 
  By: Davis of Dallas H.B. No. 783
 
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to certain offenses that involve impersonating a peace
 
  officer or other public servant and misrepresenting the nature of
 
  certain property.
         
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
         SECTION 1.  Section 37.11(b), Penal Code, is amended to read
 
  as follows:
         
         (b)  An offense under this section is a felony of the third
 
  degree, except that an offense under this section is a felony of the
 
  second degree if the actor commits the offense with the intent to
 
  commit an offense in addition to the offense under this section.
         
         SECTION 2.  Sections 37.12(a), (b), and (d), Penal Code, are
 
  amended to read as follows:
         
         (a)  A person commits an offense if:
               
               (1)  the person makes, provides to another person, or
 
  possesses a uniform, card, document, badge, insignia, shoulder
 
  emblem, or other item bearing an insignia of a law enforcement
 
  agency that identifies a person as a peace officer or a reserve law
 
  enforcement officer; and
               
               (2)  the person who makes, provides, or possesses the
 
  item bearing the insignia knows that the person so identified by the
 
  item is not commissioned as a peace officer or reserve law
 
  enforcement officer as indicated on the item.
         
         (b)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:
               
               (1)  the uniform, card, document, badge, insignia,
 
  shoulder emblem, or other item bearing an insignia of a law
 
  enforcement agency clearly identifies the person as an honorary or
 
  junior peace officer or reserve law enforcement officer, or as a
 
  member of a junior posse;
               
               (2)  the person identified as a peace officer or
 
  reserve law enforcement officer by the item bearing the insignia
 
  was commissioned in that capacity when the item was made; or
               
               (3)  the item was used or intended for use exclusively
 
  for decorative purposes or in an artistic or dramatic presentation.
         
         (d)  A person commits an offense if the person intentionally
 
  or knowingly misrepresents an object, including a uniform, as
 
  property belonging to a law enforcement agency.
         
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply 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, 2011.
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