S.B. No. 554
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to conduct constituting the offense of dog fighting and to
  the criminal and civil consequences of committing that offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsections (a), (b), and (e), Section 42.10,
  Penal Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if the person [he]
  intentionally or knowingly:
               (1)  causes a dog to fight with another dog;
               (2)  participates in the earnings of or operates a
  facility used for dog fighting;
               (3)  uses or permits another to use any real estate,
  building, room, tent, arena, or other property for dog fighting;
               (4)  owns or possesses dog-fighting equipment with the
  intent that the equipment be used to train a dog for dog fighting or
  in furtherance of dog fighting;
               (5)  owns or trains a dog with the intent that the dog
  be used in an exhibition of dog fighting; or
               (6) [(5)]  attends as a spectator an exhibition of dog
  fighting.
         (b)  In this section:
               (1)  "Dog[, "dog] fighting" means any situation in
  which one dog attacks or fights with another dog.
               (2)  "Dog-fighting equipment" has the meaning assigned
  by Article 18.18(g), Code of Criminal Procedure.
         (e)  An offense under Subsection (a)(4), [or] (5), or (6) is
  a Class A misdemeanor.  An offense under Subsection (a)(1), (2), or
  (3) is a state jail felony.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 71.02, Penal Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if, with the intent to
  establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the
  profits of a combination or as a member of a criminal street gang,
  he commits or conspires to commit one or more of the following:
               (1)  murder, capital murder, arson, aggravated
  robbery, robbery, burglary, theft, aggravated kidnapping,
  kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual
  assault, forgery, deadly conduct, assault punishable as a Class A
  misdemeanor, burglary of a motor vehicle, or unauthorized use of a
  motor vehicle;
               (2)  any gambling offense punishable as a Class A
  misdemeanor;
               (3)  promotion of prostitution, aggravated promotion
  of prostitution, or compelling prostitution;
               (4)  unlawful manufacture, transportation, repair, or
  sale of firearms or prohibited weapons;
               (5)  unlawful manufacture, delivery, dispensation, or
  distribution of a controlled substance or dangerous drug, or
  unlawful possession of a controlled substance or dangerous drug
  through forgery, fraud, misrepresentation, or deception;
               (6)  any unlawful wholesale promotion or possession of
  any obscene material or obscene device with the intent to wholesale
  promote the same;
               (7)  any offense under Subchapter B, Chapter 43,
  depicting or involving conduct by or directed toward a child
  younger than 18 years of age;
               (8)  any felony offense under Chapter 32;
               (9)  any offense under Chapter 36;
               (10)  any offense under Chapter 34 or 35;
               (11)  any offense under Section 37.11(a);
               (12)  any offense under Chapter 20A; [or]
               (13)  any offense under Section 37.10; or
               (14)  any offense under Section 42.10.
         SECTION 3.  Subdivision (2), Article 59.01, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, as amended by Chapters 127 (S.B. 1694), 822 (H.B. 73),
  and 885 (H.B. 2278), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2007, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
               (2)  "Contraband" means property of any nature,
  including real, personal, tangible, or intangible, that is:
                     (A)  used in the commission of:
                           (i)  any first or second degree felony under
  the Penal Code;
                           (ii)  any felony under Section 15.031(b),
  20.05, 21.11, 38.04, Subchapter B of Chapter 43, or Chapter 29, 30,
  31, 32, 33, 33A, or 35, Penal Code;
                           (iii)  any felony under The Securities Act
  (Article 581-1 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); or
                           (iv)  any offense under Chapter 49, Penal
  Code, that is punishable as a felony of the third degree or state
  jail felony, if the defendant has been previously convicted three
  times of an offense under that chapter;
                     (B)  used or intended to be used in the commission
  of:
                           (i)  any felony under Chapter 481, Health
  and Safety Code (Texas Controlled Substances Act);
                           (ii)  any felony under Chapter 483, Health
  and Safety Code;
                           (iii)  a felony under Chapter 153, Finance
  Code;
                           (iv)  any felony under Chapter 34, Penal
  Code;
                           (v)  a Class A misdemeanor under Subchapter
  B, Chapter 365, Health and Safety Code, if the defendant has been
  previously convicted twice of an offense under that subchapter;
                           (vi)  any felony under Chapter 152, Finance
  Code;
                           (vii)  any felony under Chapter 32, Human
  Resources Code, or Chapter 31, 32, 35A, or 37, Penal Code, that
  involves the state Medicaid program;
                           (viii)  a Class B misdemeanor under Chapter
  522, Business & Commerce Code; [or]
                           (ix)  a Class A misdemeanor under Section
  35.153, Business & Commerce Code; or
                           (x)  any offense under Section 42.10, Penal
  Code;
                     (C)  the proceeds gained from the commission of a
  felony listed in Paragraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision, a
  misdemeanor listed in Paragraph (B)(viii) or (x) of this
  subdivision, or a crime of violence;
                     (D)  acquired with proceeds gained from the
  commission of a felony listed in Paragraph (A) or (B) of this
  subdivision, a misdemeanor listed in Paragraph (B)(viii) or (x) of
  this subdivision, or a crime of violence; or
                     (E)  used to facilitate or intended to be used to
  facilitate the commission of a felony under Section 15.031 or
  43.25, Penal Code.
         SECTION 4.  Chapter 59, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Article 59.011 to read as follows:
         Art. 59.011.  If property described by Article
  59.01(2)(B)(x) is subject to forfeiture under this chapter and
  Article 18.18, the attorney representing the state may proceed
  under either provision.
         SECTION 5.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act or
  to the forfeiture of property used in the commission of that
  offense.  An offense committed before the effective date of this
  Act, or the forfeiture of property used in the commission of that
  offense, 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 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 554 passed the Senate on
  April 2, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 554 passed the House on
  May 20, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 135, Nays 0, one
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor