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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an exception to the application of the offense of misuse |
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of official information for journalists. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.06, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) It is an exception to the application of Subsection |
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(c) that the person solicited or received the information for |
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purposes of gathering, compiling, preparing, collecting, |
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photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, |
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investigating, processing, or publishing news or information for |
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dissemination by: |
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(1) a communication service provider or news medium, |
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as those terms are defined by Article 38.11, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure; or |
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(2) an Internet website, including a social media |
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platform. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |