H.B. No. 1813
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the punishment for tampering with certain governmental
  records concerning forensic analyses.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 37.10(c)(2), Penal Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
               (2)  An offense under this section is a felony of the
  third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the
  governmental record was:
                     (A)  a public school record, report, or assessment
  instrument required under Chapter 39, Education Code, or was a
  license, certificate, permit, seal, title, letter of patent, or
  similar document issued by government, by another state, or by the
  United States, unless the actor's intent is to defraud or harm
  another, in which event the offense is a felony of the second
  degree;
                     (B)  a written report of a medical, chemical,
  toxicological, ballistic, or other expert examination or test
  performed on physical evidence for the purpose of determining the
  connection or relevance of the evidence to a criminal action; or
                     (C)  a written report of the certification,
  inspection, or maintenance record of an instrument, apparatus,
  implement, machine, or other similar device used in the course of an
  examination or test performed on physical evidence for the purpose
  of determining the connection or relevance of the evidence to a
  criminal action.
         SECTION 2.  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 when 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, 2009.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1813 was passed by the House on April
  21, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 145, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1813 was passed by the Senate on May
  11, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor