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.