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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the determination of whether a use of force against |
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another is justified. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 9.31, Penal Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The use of force against another is not justified: |
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(1) in response to verbal provocation alone; |
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(2) to resist an arrest or search that the actor knows |
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is being made by a peace officer, or by a person acting in a peace |
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officer's presence and at his direction, even though the arrest or |
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search is unlawful, unless the resistance is justified under |
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Subsection (c); |
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(3) if the actor consented to the exact force used or |
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attempted by the other; |
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(4) if the actor provoked the other's use or attempted |
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use of unlawful force, unless: |
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(A) the actor abandons the encounter, or clearly |
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communicates to the other his intent to do so reasonably believing |
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he cannot safely abandon the encounter; and |
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(B) the other nevertheless continues or attempts |
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to use unlawful force against the actor; or |
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(5) if the actor sought an explanation from or |
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discussion with the other person concerning the actor's differences |
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with the other person while the actor was: |
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(A) carrying a weapon in violation of Section |
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46.02; [or] |
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(B) possessing or transporting a weapon in |
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violation of Section 46.05; or |
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(C) possessing a firearm in violation of Section |
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46.04. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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