87R3240 JSC-D     By: Zwiener, Collier, White, Dutton, Toth, H.B. No. 441       et al.       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the criminal and licensing consequences of certain   marihuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession offenses;   imposing a fee.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 481.121(b), Health and Safety Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (b)  An offense under Subsection (a) is:                (1)  a Class C misdemeanor if the amount of marihuana   possessed is one ounce or less;                (1-a)  a Class B misdemeanor if the amount of marihuana   possessed is two ounces or less but more than one ounce;                (2)  a Class A misdemeanor if the amount of marihuana   possessed is four ounces or less but more than two ounces;                (3)  a state jail felony if the amount of marihuana   possessed is five pounds or less but more than four ounces;                (4)  a felony of the third degree if the amount of   marihuana possessed is 50 pounds or less but more than 5 pounds;                (5)  a felony of the second degree if the amount of   marihuana possessed is 2,000 pounds or less but more than 50 pounds;   and                (6)  punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department   of Criminal Justice for life or for a term of not more than 99 years   or less than 5 years, and a fine not to exceed $50,000, if the amount   of marihuana possessed is more than 2,000 pounds.          SECTION 2.  Article 14.06, Code of Criminal Procedure, is   amended by adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) and amending   Subsection (d) to read as follows:          (b-1)  A peace officer who is charging a person with   committing an offense under Section 481.121(b)(1) or 481.125(a),   Health and Safety Code, may not arrest the person and shall issue   the person a citation as provided by Subsection (b).          (b-2)  Subsection (b-1) does not apply to an officer making   an arrest for an offense other than an offense under Section   481.121(b)(1) or 481.125(a), Health and Safety Code.          (d)  Subsection (c) applies only to a person charged with   committing an offense under:                (1)  Section 481.121, Health and Safety Code, if the   offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(1-a) [(b)(1)] or (2) of   that section;                (1-a)  Section 481.1161, Health and Safety Code, if the   offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) of that   section;                (2)  Section 28.03, Penal Code, if the offense is   punishable under Subsection (b)(2) of that section;                (3)  Section 28.08, Penal Code, if the offense is   punishable under Subsection (b)(2) or (3) of that section;                (4)  Section 31.03, Penal Code, if the offense is   punishable under Subsection (e)(2)(A) of that section;                (5)  Section 31.04, Penal Code, if the offense is   punishable under Subsection (e)(2) of that section;                (6)  Section 38.114, Penal Code, if the offense is   punishable as a Class B misdemeanor; or                (7)  Section 521.457, Transportation Code.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 45, Code of Criminal   Procedure, is amended by adding Article 45.02161 to read as   follows:          Art. 45.02161.  EXPUNCTION OF CERTAIN RECORDS. (a) This   article applies only to a person charged with an offense under   Section 481.121(b)(1) or 481.125(a), Health and Safety Code.          (b)  Records of a person relating to a complaint may be   expunged under this article if:                (1)  the complaint was dismissed under Article 45.051   or 45.052 or other law and:                      (A)  at least 180 days have elapsed from the date   of the dismissal; or                      (B)  at least one year has elapsed from the date of   the citation; or                (2)  the person was acquitted of the offense.          (c)  The person must make a written request to have the   records expunged. The request must be under oath.          (d)  The court shall order all complaints, verdicts,   sentences, and prosecutorial and law enforcement records and any   other documents relating to the offense expunged from the person's   record if the court finds that the person satisfies the   requirements of this article.          (e)  The justice or municipal court shall require a person   who requests expungement under this article to pay a fee in the   amount of $30 to defray the cost of notifying state agencies of   orders of expungement under this article.          (f)  The procedures for expunction provided under this   article are separate and distinct from the expunction procedures   under Chapter 55.          SECTION 4.  Article 45.051, Code of Criminal Procedure, is   amended by adding Subsections (a-2) and (e-1) to read as follows:          (a-2)  Unless the defendant has previously received a   deferral of disposition for an offense under Section 481.121(b)(1)   or 481.125(a), Health and Safety Code, committed within the   12-month period preceding the date of the commission of the instant   offense, on plea of guilty or nolo contendere for either offense,   the judge shall defer further proceedings without entering an   adjudication of guilt and place the defendant on probation under   the provisions of this article.          (e-1)  A court that dismisses a complaint under this article   for a person charged with an offense under Section 481.121(b)(1) or   481.125(a), Health and Safety Code, shall notify the defendant in   writing of the person's expunction rights under Article 45.02161   and provide the person with a copy of that article. The dismissed   complaint is not a conviction and may not be used against the person   for any purpose.          SECTION 5.  Section 411.0728(a), Government Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  This section applies only to a person:                (1)  who is convicted of or placed on deferred   adjudication community supervision for an offense under:                      (A)  Section 481.120, Health and Safety Code, if   the offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(1);                      (B)  Section 481.121, Health and Safety Code, if   the offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(1-a) [(b)(1)];                      (C)  Section 31.03, Penal Code, if the offense is   punishable under Subsection (e)(1) or (2); or                      (D)  Section 43.02, Penal Code; and                (2)  who, if requested by the applicable law   enforcement agency or prosecuting attorney to provide assistance in   the investigation or prosecution of an offense under Section   20A.02, 20A.03, or 43.05, Penal Code, or a federal offense   containing elements that are substantially similar to the elements   of an offense under any of those sections:                      (A)  provided assistance in the investigation or   prosecution of the offense; or                      (B)  did not provide assistance in the   investigation or prosecution of the offense due to the person's age   or a physical or mental disability resulting from being a victim of   an offense described by this subdivision.          SECTION 6.  Section 521.371(3), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:                (3)  "Drug offense" has the meaning assigned under 23   U.S.C. Section 159(c) and includes an offense under Section 49.04,   49.07, or 49.08, Penal Code, that is committed as a result of the   introduction into the body of any substance the possession of which   is prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act. The term does   not include an offense punishable by fine only under the laws of   this state.          SECTION 7.  The changes in law made by this Act 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 section, an offense was committed before the effective date of   this Act if any element of the offense was committed before that   date.          SECTION 8.  (a) Except as otherwise provided by this   section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021.          (b)  Section 521.371, Transportation Code, as amended by   this Act, takes effect on the 91st day after the date the office of   the attorney general publishes in the Texas Register a finding   that:                (1)  the legislature of this state has adopted a   resolution expressing the legislature's opposition to a law meeting   the requirements of 23 U.S.C. Section 159 in suspending, revoking,   or denying the driver's license of a person convicted of a drug   offense punishable by fine only for a period of six months;                (2)  the governor of this state has submitted to the   United States secretary of transportation:                      (A)  a written certification of the governor's   opposition to the enactment or enforcement of a law required under   23 U.S.C. Section 159 as that law relates to offenses punishable by   fine only; and                      (B)  a written certification that the legislature   has adopted the resolution described by Subdivision (1) of this   subsection; and                (3)  the United States secretary of transportation has   responded to the governor's submission and certified that highway   funds will not be withheld from this state in response to the   partial repeal of the law required under 23 U.S.C. Section 159.