Bill Text: TX HB254 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the penalty for certain offenders for possession of a small amount of certain controlled substances.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-08 - Left pending in committee [HB254 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB254-Introduced.html

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84R1621 JSC-D
By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 254

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the penalty for certain offenders for possession of a
small amount of certain controlled substances.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 481.115(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor
[state jail felony] if the amount of the controlled substance
possessed is, by aggregate weight, including adulterants or
dilutants, less than one gram.
SECTION 2. Section 481.1151(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) An offense under this section is:
(1) a Class A misdemeanor [state jail felony] if the
number of abuse units of the controlled substance is fewer than 20;
(2) a felony of the third degree if the number of abuse
units of the controlled substance is 20 or more but fewer than 80;
(3) a felony of the second degree if the number of
abuse units of the controlled substance is 80 or more but fewer than
4,000;
(4) a felony of the first degree if the number of abuse
units of the controlled substance is 4,000 or more but fewer than
8,000; and
(5) punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice for life or for a term of not more than 99 years
or less than 15 years and a fine not to exceed $250,000, if the
number of abuse units of the controlled substance is 8,000 or more.
SECTION 3. Section 481.116(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor
[state jail felony] if the amount of the controlled substance
possessed is, by aggregate weight, including adulterants or
dilutants, less than one gram.
SECTION 4. Section 481.134(d), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) An offense otherwise punishable under Section
481.112(b), 481.113(b), 481.114(b), [481.115(b), 481.116(b),]
481.1161(b)(3), 481.120(b)(3), or 481.121(b)(3) is a felony of the
third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the
offense was committed:
(1) in, on, or within 1,000 feet of any real property
that is owned, rented, or leased to a school or school board, the
premises of a public or private youth center, or a playground; or
(2) on a school bus.
SECTION 5. Section 11, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (n) to read as follows:
(n) A judge who grants community supervision to a person
convicted of a Class A misdemeanor under Section 481.115(b),
481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b), or 481.1161(b)(2), Health and Safety
Code, may require, as a condition of community supervision, that
the person successfully complete an educational program on
substance abuse awareness approved by the Department of State
Health Services.
SECTION 6. Section 15(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of
Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
(1) On conviction of a state jail felony under Section
[481.115(b), 481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b),] 481.1161(b)(3),
481.121(b)(3), or 481.129(g)(1), Health and Safety Code, that is
punished under Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge shall
suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on
community supervision, unless the defendant has previously been
convicted of a felony, other than a felony punished under Section
12.44(a), Penal Code, or unless the conviction resulted from an
adjudication of the guilt of a defendant previously placed on
deferred adjudication community supervision for the offense, in
which event the judge may suspend the imposition of the sentence and
place the defendant on community supervision or may order the
sentence to be executed. The provisions of this subdivision
requiring the judge to suspend the imposition of the sentence and
place the defendant on community supervision do not apply to a
defendant who:
(A) [under Section 481.1151(b)(1), Health and
Safety Code, possessed more than five abuse units of the controlled
substance;
[(B)] under Section 481.1161(b)(3), Health and
Safety Code, possessed more than one pound, by aggregate weight,
including adulterants or dilutants, of the controlled substance; or
(B) [(C)] under Section 481.121(b)(3), Health
and Safety Code, possessed more than one pound of marihuana.
SECTION 7. The change in law made by this Act 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 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.