HBA-KMH H.B. 1557 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1557
By: Naishtat
Criminal Jurisprudence
3/4/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Threats against family members are typically more serious because there is
a higher likelihood that the perpetrator has information about and access
to family members to carry out the threat.  H.B. 1557 upgrades the penalty
to a Class A misdemeanor for terroristic threat when the threat is made
against a family member. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 22.07, Penal Code, to increase the penalty for
the offense of terroristic threat to a Class A misdemeanor, rather than a
Class B misdemeanor, if the offense is committed with the intent to place a
family member in fear of imminent serious bodily injury. Provides that
"family" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.003, Family Code. "Family"
includes individuals related by consanguinity or affinity, as determined
under Sections 573.022 and 573.024, 
Government Code, individuals who are former spouses of each other,
individuals who are the biological parents of the same child, without
regard to marriage, and a foster child and foster 
parent, without regard to whether those individuals reside together.

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.