Bill Text: TX SB1996 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to investigating and prosecuting the criminal offense of operating an unmanned aircraft over or near certain facilities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-19 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB1996 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB1996-Introduced.html

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86R13544 JCG-F
By: Birdwell S.B. No. 1996

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to investigating and prosecuting the criminal offense of
operating an unmanned aircraft over or near certain facilities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 423.0045, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
follows:
(b) A person commits an offense if the person with criminal
negligence [intentionally or knowingly]:
(1) operates an unmanned aircraft over a correctional
facility, detention facility, or critical infrastructure facility
and the unmanned aircraft is not higher than 400 feet above ground
level;
(2) allows an unmanned aircraft to make contact with a
correctional facility, detention facility, or critical
infrastructure facility, including any person or object on the
premises of or within the facility; or
(3) allows an unmanned aircraft to come within a
distance of a correctional facility, detention facility, or
critical infrastructure facility that is close enough to interfere
with the operations of or cause a disturbance to the facility.
(e) A peace officer who investigates an offense under this
section shall notify the Department of Public Safety of the
investigation. The department may require further information from
the officer as the department determines necessary.
SECTION 2. Section 423.0045, Government Code, as amended 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.