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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the criminal penalties for the owner of a dog that |
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attacks another person. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 822.005, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), an [An] offense |
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under this section is a felony of the third degree [unless the
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attack causes death, in which event the offense is a felony of the
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second degree]. |
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(b-1) An offense under this section is a felony of the |
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second degree if the attack causes death, except that the offense is |
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a felony of the first degree if the attack causes death to a person: |
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(1) younger than 15 years of age; or |
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(2) 65 years of age or older. |
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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, 2011. |