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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the insanity defense in a criminal case. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 8.01(a), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution that, at the |
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time of the conduct charged, the actor, as a result of severe mental |
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disease or defect, did not appreciate [know] that the actor's [his] |
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conduct was either legally or morally wrong. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act in amending |
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Section 8.01(a), Penal Code, applies only to a defendant acquitted |
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of an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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A defendant acquitted of an offense committed before the effective |
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date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was |
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committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed |
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before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense |
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occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |