85R304 MEW-D     By: Burrows H.B. No. 1739       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the concurrent jurisdiction of the attorney general to   prosecute the offense of barratry and solicitation of professional   employment.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 38.12, Penal Code, is amended by adding   Subsection (j) to read as follows:          (j)  The attorney general has concurrent jurisdiction with   the appropriate local county or district attorney to prosecute an   offense under this section.          SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to the   prosecution of an offense committed on or after the effective date   of this Act. The prosecution of 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   is committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of   the offense occurs before the effective date.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.