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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of certain criminal offenses involving |
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theft or involving fraud or other deceptive practices. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Section 31.06, Penal Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.06. PRESUMPTION FOR THEFT BY CHECK OR SIMILAR SIGHT |
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ORDER. |
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SECTION 2. Subsection (a), Section 31.06, Penal Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) If the actor obtained property or secured performance of |
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service by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order for the |
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payment of money, when the issuer did not have sufficient funds in |
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or on deposit with the bank or other drawee for the payment in full |
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of the check or order as well as all other checks or orders then |
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outstanding, it is prima facie evidence of the issuer's [his] |
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intent to deprive the owner of property under Section 31.03 (Theft) |
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including a drawee or third-party holder in due course who |
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negotiated the check or order or to avoid payment for service under |
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Section 31.04 (Theft of Service) (except in the case of a postdated |
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check or order) if: |
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(1) the issuer [he] had no account with the bank or |
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other drawee at the time the issuer [he] issued the check or sight |
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order; or |
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(2) payment was refused by the bank or other drawee for |
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lack of funds or insufficient funds, on presentation within 30 days |
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after issue, and the issuer failed to pay the holder in full within |
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10 days after receiving notice of that refusal. |
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SECTION 3. The heading to Section 32.41, Penal Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 32.41. ISSUANCE OF BAD CHECK OR SIMILAR SIGHT ORDER. |
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SECTION 4. Subsection (e), Section 32.41, Penal Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(e) A person charged with an offense under this section may |
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make restitution for the bad checks or sight orders. Restitution |
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shall be made through the prosecutor's office if collection and |
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processing were initiated through that office. In other cases |
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restitution may be, with the approval of the court in which the |
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offense is filed: |
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(1) made through the court; or |
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(2) collected by a law enforcement agency if a peace |
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officer of that agency executes a warrant against the person |
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charged with the offense. |
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SECTION 5. Subdivision (1), Subsection (a), Section 32.45, |
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Penal Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(1) "Fiduciary" includes: |
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(A) a trustee, guardian, administrator, |
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executor, conservator, and receiver; |
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(B) an attorney in fact or agent appointed under |
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a durable power of attorney as provided by Chapter XII, Texas |
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Probate Code; |
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(C) any other person acting in a fiduciary |
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capacity, but not a commercial bailee unless the commercial bailee |
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is a party in a motor fuel sales agreement with a distributor or |
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supplier, as those terms are defined by Section 162.001 [153.001], |
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Tax Code; and |
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(D) an officer, manager, employee, or agent |
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carrying on fiduciary functions on behalf of a fiduciary. |
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SECTION 6. Subsection (a), Section 3.507, Business & |
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Commerce Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) On return of a check or similar sight order, as defined |
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by Section 1.07, Penal Code, to the holder following dishonor of the |
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check or sight order by a payor and prior to the check or sight order |
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being referred for prosecution, the holder, the holder's assignee, |
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agent, or representative, or any other person retained by the |
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holder to seek collection of the dishonored check or sight order may |
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charge the drawer or indorser of the check or sight order the cost |
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of delivery notification by registered or certified mail with |
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return receipt requested under Section 31.06 or Section 32.41, |
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Penal Code, as applicable. |
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SECTION 7. The heading to Article 102.007, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, is amended to read as follows: |
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Art. 102.007. FEE FOR COLLECTING AND PROCESSING CHECK OR |
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SIMILAR SIGHT ORDER. |
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SECTION 8. Subsections (a) and (e), Article 102.007, Code |
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of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A county attorney, district attorney, or criminal |
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district attorney may collect a fee if the attorney's [his] office |
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collects and processes a check or similar sight order, as defined by |
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Section 1.07, Penal Code, if the check or similar sight order: |
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(1) has been issued or passed in a manner that makes |
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the issuance or passing an offense under: |
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(A) Section 31.03, Penal Code; |
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(B) Section 31.04, Penal Code; or |
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(C) Section 32.41, Penal Code; or |
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(2) has been forged, as defined by Section 32.21, |
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Penal Code. |
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(e) In addition to the collection fee specified in |
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Subsection (c) [of this article], the county attorney, district |
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attorney, or criminal district attorney may collect the fee |
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authorized by Section 3.506, Business & Commerce Code, for the |
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benefit of the holder of a check or similar sight order or the |
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holder's [its] assignee, agent, representative, or any other person |
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retained by the holder to seek collection of the check or order. |
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SECTION 9. Article 102.0071, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Art. 102.0071. JUSTICE COURT DISHONORED CHECK OR SIMILAR |
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SIGHT ORDER. On conviction in justice court of an offense under |
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Section 32.41, Penal Code, or an offense under Section 31.03 or |
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31.04, Penal Code, in which it is shown that the defendant committed |
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the offense by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order, as |
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defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, that was subsequently |
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dishonored, the court may collect from the defendant and pay to the |
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holder of the check or order the fee permitted by Section 3.506, |
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Business & Commerce Code. |
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SECTION 10. Sections 102.101 and 102.102, Government Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 102.101. ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN |
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JUSTICE COURT: CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. A clerk of a justice |
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court shall collect fees and costs under the Code of Criminal |
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Procedure on conviction of a defendant as follows: |
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(1) a jury fee (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure) . . . $3; |
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(2) a fee for withdrawing request for jury less than 24 |
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hours before time of trial (Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure) . . . $3; |
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(3) a jury fee for two or more defendants tried jointly |
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(Art. 102.004, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . one jury fee of $3; |
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(4) a security fee on a misdemeanor offense (Art. |
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102.017, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $4; |
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(5) a fee for technology fund on a misdemeanor offense |
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(Art. 102.0173, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $4; |
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(6) a juvenile case manager fee (Art. 102.0174, Code |
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of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to exceed $5 if the court employs a |
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juvenile case manager; |
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(7) a fee on conviction of certain offenses involving |
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issuing or passing a subsequently dishonored check or similar sight |
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order (Art. 102.0071, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to |
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exceed $30; |
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(8) a court cost on conviction of a Class C misdemeanor |
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in a county with a population of 3.3 million or more, if authorized |
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by the county commissioners court (Art. 102.009, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure) . . . not to exceed $7; and |
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(9) a civil justice fee (Art. 102.022, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure) . . . $0.10. |
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Sec. 102.102. ADDITIONAL COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION IN |
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JUSTICE COURT: BUSINESS & COMMERCE CODE. The clerk of a justice |
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court shall collect from a defendant a court cost not to exceed $30 |
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under Section 3.506, Business & Commerce Code, on conviction of |
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certain offenses involving issuing or passing a subsequently |
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dishonored check or similar sight order. |
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SECTION 11. The heading to Section 162.409, Tax Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 162.409. ISSUANCE OF BAD CHECK OR SIMILAR SIGHT ORDER |
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TO LICENSED DISTRIBUTOR, LICENSED SUPPLIER, OR PERMISSIVE |
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SUPPLIER. |
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SECTION 12. Subsections (a) and (d), Section 162.409, Tax |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A person commits an offense if: |
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(1) the person issues or passes a check or similar |
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sight order, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, for the payment |
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of money knowing that the issuer does not have sufficient funds in |
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or on deposit with the bank or other drawee for the payment in full |
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of the check or order as well as all other checks or orders |
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outstanding at the time of issuance; |
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(2) the payee on the check or order is a licensed |
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distributor, licensed supplier, or permissive supplier; and |
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(3) the payment is for an obligation or debt that |
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includes a tax under this chapter to be collected by the licensed |
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distributor, licensed supplier, or permissive supplier. |
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(d) A person who makes payment on an obligation or debt that |
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includes a tax under this chapter and pays with an insufficient |
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funds check or similar sight order, as defined by Section 1.07, |
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Penal Code, issued to a licensed distributor, licensed supplier, or |
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permissive supplier may be held liable for a penalty equal to the |
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total amount of tax not paid to the licensed distributor, licensed |
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supplier, or permissive supplier. |
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SECTION 13. 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 14. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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