HBA-SEP H.B. 2567 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2567 By: Hinojosa Criminal Jurisprudence 4/2/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 1995, the legislature eliminated the second degree felony offense of extortion from provisions regarding theft. Certain criminal organizations may commit this offense to fund their operations, which necessitates the need to create a statute that specifically addresses the crime of extortion. House Bill 2567 provides that extortion is a second degree felony. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 2567 amends the Penal Code to provide that a person commits a second degree felony if the person commits or attempts to commit theft by threatening to commit a felony against a person or property of a person, or withhold information about the location or purported location of an explosive device, drug, poison, or other lethal criminal instrument that if existent could harm the person or property of a person. If in response to the threat, a building or any device in, on, or by which any person or property is or may be propelled, moved, or drawn in the normal course of commerce or transportation is evacuated, the offense is a first degree felony. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.