HB 1947
AN ACT relating to civil and criminal liability for engaging in certain
89th Regular Session
Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended
Awaiting Committee Assignment
Bill filed, pending referral to House committee
Committee
Not yet assigned
Fiscal Note
Not available
What This Bill Does
Strengthens legal protections for critical infrastructure facilities like pipelines, airports, military installations, and semiconductor manufacturing plants. It creates criminal and civil penalties for individuals who intentionally enter, damage, or disrupt these facilities without owner consent, including actions within 15 miles that could impair facility operations. The law imposes significant potential fines, with corporations facing penalties up to $1 billion, and aims to protect key economic and strategic infrastructure from intentional interference or damage.
Subject Areas
Bill Text
relating to civil and criminal liability for engaging in certain conduct involving a critical infrastructure facility; creating BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 424.001, Government Code, is amended to Sec. 424.001. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this (1) "Critical [, "critical] infrastructure facility" has the meaning assigned by Section 423.0045(a)(1-a) and also (A) [(1)] any pipeline transporting oil or gas or the products or constituents of oil or gas; (B) [(2)] a public or private airport depicted in any current aeronautical chart published by the Federal Aviation (C) [(3)] a military installation owned or operated by or for the federal government, this state, or another (D) a semiconductor wafer manufacturing (E) [(4)] a facility or pipeline described by this section that is under construction and all equipment and appurtenances used during that construction. (2) "Semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility" means a manufacturing facility that includes any of the following processes with respect to semiconductor production: (A) growing single-crystal ingots or boules; SECTION 2. Section 424.051(a), Government Code, is amended (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person: (1) enters or remains on or in a critical infrastructure facility and intentionally or knowingly damages or (2) intentionally or knowingly disturbs the physical environment, including increasing ground or subterranean vibration levels, within 15 miles of a critical infrastructure facility and the disturbance damages or destroys the facility. SECTION 3. Section 424.052(a), Government Code, is amended (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person: (1) enters or remains on or in a critical infrastructure facility and intentionally or knowingly impairs or interrupts the operation of the facility; or (2) intentionally or knowingly disturbs the physical environment, including increasing ground or subterranean vibration levels, within 15 miles of a critical infrastructure facility and the disturbance impairs or interrupts the operation of the SECTION 4. Section 424.053(a), Government Code, is amended (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person: (1) enters or remains on or in a critical infrastructure facility with the intent to damage or destroy the (2) disturbs the physical environment, including increasing ground or subterranean vibration levels, within 15 miles of a critical infrastructure facility with the intent to damage or SECTION 5. Section 424.054(a), Government Code, is amended (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person: (1) enters or remains on or in a critical infrastructure facility with the intent to impair or interrupt the (2) disturbs the physical environment, including increasing ground or subterranean vibration levels, within 15 miles of a critical infrastructure facility with the intent to impair or interrupt the operation of the facility. SECTION 6. Section 424.055, Government Code, is amended to Sec. 424.055. PUNISHMENT FOR CORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS. Notwithstanding Section 12.51, Penal Code, a court shall sentence a corporation or association adjudged guilty of an offense under this subchapter to pay a fine not to exceed $1 billion SECTION 7. Section 424.102, Government Code, is amended to Sec. 424.102. CERTAIN ADDITIONAL LIABILITY. In addition to any liability under Section 424.101, an organization that, acting through an officer, director, or other person serving in a managerial capacity, knowingly compensates a person for engaging in conduct occurring on the premises of a critical infrastructure facility, or for disturbing the physical environment within 15 miles of a critical infrastructure facility, is liable to the property owner, as provided by this subchapter, for damages arising from the conduct if the conduct constituted an offense under Section 424.051, 424.052, 424.053, or 424.054. SECTION 8. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 424, Government Code, apply 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 subsection, an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was committed before that (b) The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 424, Government Code, apply only to a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. A cause of action that accrues before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the cause of action accrued, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Bill Sponsors
Legislators who authored or co-sponsored this bill.
Expert Lobbyists for This Bill
These lobbyists specialize in Law Enforcement and related subject areas.
Beverly C. Cornwell
PremiumMichael J. Johnson
Allison Billodeau
Sarah Hicks
Ky Ash
Andria Baum
David H. Cain
Ashley Michelle Juergens
Elizabeth Hadley
Matthew Bentley
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to civil and criminal liability for engaging in certain
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