The bill amends Section 39.03 of the Penal Code to increase the criminal penalties for certain acts of official oppression. It specifies that an offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except when a public servant acts with the intent to impair the accuracy of data reported to the Texas Education Agency, in which case it becomes a felony of the third degree. Additionally, if the public servant is a peace officer and causes bodily injury or threatens imminent bodily injury while engaging in certain conduct, the offense escalates to a felony of the second degree, particularly if serious bodily injury is caused or a deadly weapon is used.

Furthermore, the bill allows for prosecution under multiple sections if the conduct constitutes offenses under more than one section of the Penal Code. The changes will apply only to offenses committed on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for January 1, 2026, ensuring that any offenses committed prior to this date will be governed by the law in effect at that time.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Penal Code 39.03 (Penal Code 39)