H.B. No. 2589
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the prosecution of and punishment for assaulting a
  disabled individual; increasing a criminal penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 22.021(b), Penal Code, is amended by
  amending Subdivision (2) and adding Subdivision (3) to read as
  follows:
               (2)  "Elderly individual" has [and "disabled
  individual" have] the meaning [meanings] assigned by Section
  22.04(c).
               (3)  "Disabled individual" means a person older than 13
  years of age who by reason of age or physical or mental disease,
  defect, or injury is substantially unable to protect the person's
  self from harm or to provide food, shelter, or medical care for the
  person's self.
         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 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 was
  committed before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2589 was passed by the House on May 4,
  2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2589 was passed by the Senate on May
  26, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor