bill raising some dog fighting and cockfighting penalties

The text as introduced · 298 words

89R1777 JDK-D

By: Hall
S.B. No. 2426

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain conduct

constituting the offense of dog fighting or the offense of

cockfighting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 42.10(e), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(e) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an

offense under this section is a state jail felony. An offense under

Subsection (a)(6) [ (a)(4), (5), or (6) ] is a Class A misdemeanor.

[ An offense under Subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) is a state jail

felony. ]

SECTION 2. Section 42.105(g), Penal Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(g) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an [ An ]

offense under this section [ Subsection (b)(1) or (2) ] is a state

jail felony. An offense under Subsection (b)(5) [ (b)(3), (4), or

(5) ] is a Class A misdemeanor. An offense under Subsection (b)(6)

is a Class C misdemeanor, except that the offense is a Class A

misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the

person has been previously convicted of an offense under that

subdivision.

SECTION 3. 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 occurred

before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.