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            |  | AN ACT | 
         
            |  | relating to the creation of the criminal offense of impersonating a | 
         
            |  | private investigator. | 
         
            |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
            |  | SECTION 1.  Subchapter P, Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended by adding Section 1702.3876 to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | Sec. 1702.3876.  IMPERSONATING PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR; | 
         
            |  | OFFENSE.  (a)  A person commits an offense if the person: | 
         
            |  | (1)  impersonates a private investigator with the | 
         
            |  | intent to induce another to submit to the person's pretended | 
         
            |  | authority or to rely on the person's pretended acts of a private | 
         
            |  | investigator; or | 
         
            |  | (2)  knowingly purports to exercise any function that | 
         
            |  | requires licensure as a private investigator. | 
         
            |  | (b)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, | 
         
            |  | except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if it is | 
         
            |  | shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant has previously | 
         
            |  | been convicted of an offense under this section. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | 
         
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            |  | ______________________________ | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | 
         
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            |  | I certify that H.B. No. 1400 was passed by the House on May | 
         
            |  | 14, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 132, Nays 13, 2 present, not | 
         
            |  | voting. | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | Chief Clerk of the House | 
         
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            |  | 
         
            |  | I certify that H.B. No. 1400 was passed by the Senate on May | 
         
            |  | 26, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 3. | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | Secretary of the Senate | 
         
            |  | APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
         
            |  | Date | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | _____________________ | 
         
            |  | Governor |