H.B. No. 290
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the punishment for the offense of employment harmful to
  children.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 43.251(c), Penal Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
  except that the offense is:
               (1)  a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of
  the offense that the defendant has been previously convicted one
  time of an offense under this section; and
               (2)  a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the
  trial of the offense that the defendant has been previously
  convicted two or more times of an offense under this section.
         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
  covered 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, 2011.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 290 was passed by the House on April
  26, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 290 on May 27, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 136, Nays 1, 2
  present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 290 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 25, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0
  .
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor