1. Bills Relating to Penal Code and Other Offenses

2. HB 0359
Disruption of class, Disruption of Transportation, and certain elements of Disorderly conduct

3. Changes to Disorderly Conduct PC 42.01 (a) (1), (2), (3), (5) & (6)
Beginning with the school year, the following elements of disorderly conduct will not apply to a student in the 6th grade or a lower grade if the prohibited conduct occurs at a public school campus during regular school hours:
(1) abusive, indecent, or vulgar language tending to incite an immediate breach of the peace;
(2) offensive gestures tending to incite an immediate breach of the peace;
(3) noxious and unreasonable odors created by chemical means;
(5) unreasonable noise; and,
(6) fighting

4. PC 43.261.  Electronic Transmission of Certain Visual Material Depicting Minor
A person who is a minor commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
(1)  by electronic means promotes to another minor visual material depicting a minor, including the actor, engaging in sexual conduct, if the actor produced the visual material or knows that another minor produced the visual material; or
(2)  possesses in an electronic format visual material depicting another minor engaging in sexual conduct, if the actor produced the visual material or knows that another minor produced the visual material.
(c)  An offense under Subsection (b)(1) is a Class C misdemeanor

5. Higher Offense Except that the offense is:
(1)  a Class B misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the actor:
(A)  promoted the visual material with intent to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, embarrass, or offend another

6. Defense To Prosecution
(1)  did not produce or solicit the visual material;
(2)  possessed the visual material only after receiving the material from another minor; and
(3)  destroyed the visual material within a reasonable amount of time after receiving the material from another minor.

7. HB 0025
Amends PC to provides that a person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun in a motor vehicle or watercraft which is owned by or under the person’s control at anytime in which:
The handgun is in plain view
The person is
Engaged in criminal activity (besides Class C)
Prohibited by law from possessing a firearm
A member of a criminal street gang

8. HB 0308
Amends PW to require a motorboat, including a motorboat carrying passengers for hire, to carry at least one wearable personal floatation device for each person aboard, and the operator shall require each passenger under 13 to wear a wearable personal flotation device at all times.
Amends PW to exempt a canoe, kayak, punt, rowboat, sailboat, rubber raft, and other paddle craft from all safety equipment requirements except one wearable personal flotation device for each person aboard.
Effective

9. SB 1024 Relates to Theft of Service
Amends PC as to the actor securing performance of a service by agreeing to provide compensation, and then failing to make full payment after receiving notice demanding payment.
Provides that the partial payment of wages alone is not sufficient evidence to negate the actor’s intent to avoid payment for a service.
Effective

10. SB 1480
Adds to PW to prohibit a person from importing, possessing, selling, or placing into the public water an exotic harmful or potentially harmful aquatic plant, except as allowed by a Parks and Wildlife Commission rule or a Parks and Wildlife Department permit.
Violation is a class C
Effective

11. HB 1043
Adds to PC to create an offense if a person, older than 15 years of age, knowingly attends as a spectator an exhibition of cockfighting.
Promotion and engaging in cockfighting is a higher offense.
It is a class C to be a spectator unless previously convicted of any offense under the subdivision of cockfighting and then it is a class A.

12. HB 2507
Adds to OC to create an offense if a person installs and irrigations system without holding a license issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
It is a class C offense
Effective

13. SB 0256
Adds to HS 671A.002 to require a private autopsy facility to post a notice in English and Spanish advising that a person may file with the Texas Medical Board a complaint against a physician who performs the autopsy services.
The notice must include the mailing address and telephone number of the Texas Medical Board for filing the complaints against physicians.
It creates a class C offense
Effective

14. SB 0431
Adds to PC to create a new offense if a person lies about military service for personal gain.
Creates a class C offense
Effective