H.B. No. 3075
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the operation of an unmanned aircraft over a
  correctional facility or detention facility; creating a criminal
  offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 38, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Section 38.115 to read as follows:
         Sec. 38.115.  OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT OVER
  CORRECTIONAL FACILITY OR DETENTION FACILITY. (a) In this section:
               (1)  "Contraband" means any item not provided by or
  authorized by the operator of a correctional facility or detention
  facility.
               (2)  "Correctional facility" means:
                     (A)  a confinement facility operated by or under
  contract with any division of the Texas Department of Criminal
  Justice;
                     (B)  a municipal or county jail;
                     (C)  a confinement facility operated by or under
  contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons; or
                     (D)  a secure correctional facility or secure
  detention facility, as defined by Section 51.02, Family Code.
               (3)  "Detention facility" means a facility operated by
  or under contract with United States Immigration and Customs
  Enforcement for the purpose of detaining aliens and placing them in
  removal proceedings.
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person intentionally
  or knowingly:
               (1)  operates an unmanned aircraft over a correctional
  facility or detention facility and the unmanned aircraft is not
  higher than 400 feet above ground level;
               (2)  allows an unmanned aircraft to make contact with a
  correctional facility or detention facility, including any person
  or object on the premises of or within the facility; or
               (3)  allows an unmanned aircraft to come within a
  distance of a correctional facility or detention facility that is
  close enough to interfere with the operations of or cause a
  disturbance to the facility.
         (c)  This section does not apply to conduct described by
  Subsection (b) that is committed by:
               (1)  the federal government, this state, or a
  governmental entity;
               (2)  a person under contract with or otherwise acting
  under the direction or on behalf of the federal government, this
  state, or a governmental entity;
               (3)  a person who has the prior written consent of the
  owner or operator of the correctional facility or detention
  facility;
               (4)  a law enforcement agency; or
               (5)  a person under contract with or otherwise acting
  under the direction or on behalf of a law enforcement agency.
         (d)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor,
  except that the offense is:
               (1)  a Class A misdemeanor if the actor has previously
  been convicted under this section; or
               (2)  a state jail felony if, during the commission of
  the offense, the actor used the unmanned aircraft to:
                     (A)  provide contraband to a person in the custody
  of the correctional facility or detention facility; or
                     (B)  otherwise introduce contraband into the
  correctional facility or detention facility.
         SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 423.0045, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 423.0045.  OFFENSE: OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT OVER
  [CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, DETENTION FACILITY, OR] CRITICAL
  INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY.
         SECTION 3.  Sections 423.0045(b) and (c), Government Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person intentionally
  or knowingly:
               (1)  operates an unmanned aircraft over a [correctional
  facility, detention facility, or] critical infrastructure facility
  and the unmanned aircraft is not higher than 400 feet above ground
  level;
               (2)  allows an unmanned aircraft to make contact with a
  [correctional facility, detention facility, or] critical
  infrastructure facility, including any person or object on the
  premises of or within the facility; or
               (3)  allows an unmanned aircraft to come within a
  distance of a [correctional facility, detention facility, or]
  critical infrastructure facility that is close enough to interfere
  with the operations of or cause a disturbance to the facility.
         (c)  This section does not apply to[:
               [(1)]  conduct described by Subsection (b) that
  [involves a correctional facility, detention facility, or critical
  infrastructure facility and] is committed by:
               (1) [(A)]  the federal government, the state, or a
  governmental entity;
               (2) [(B)]  a person under contract with or otherwise
  acting under the direction or on behalf of the federal government,
  the state, or a governmental entity;
               (3) [(C)]  a law enforcement agency;
               (4) [(D)]  a person under contract with or otherwise
  acting under the direction or on behalf of a law enforcement agency;
               (5)  [or
                     [(E)]  an operator of an unmanned aircraft that is
  being used for a commercial purpose, if the operation is conducted
  in compliance with:
                     (A) [(i)]  each applicable Federal Aviation
  Administration rule, restriction, or exemption; and
                     (B) [(ii)]  all required Federal Aviation
  Administration authorizations;
               (6)  [or
               [(2)  conduct described by Subsection (b) that involves
  a critical infrastructure facility and is committed by:
                     [(A)]  an owner or operator of the critical
  infrastructure facility;
               (7) [(B)]  a person under contract with or otherwise
  acting under the direction or on behalf of an owner or operator of
  the critical infrastructure facility;
               (8) [(C)]  a person who has the prior written consent
  of the owner or operator of the critical infrastructure facility;
  or
               (9) [(D)]  the owner or occupant of the property on
  which the critical infrastructure facility is located or a person
  who has the prior written consent of the owner or occupant of that
  property.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 423.0045(a)(1) and (3), Government
  Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 5.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
  423.0045, Government Code, 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 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 3075 was passed by the House on April
  28, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 3075 was passed by the Senate on May
  16, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor