By: Guillen H.B. No. 5287 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the offense of terrorism; creating a criminal offense. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS SECTION 1. The Penal Code is amended by adding Chapter 72, and a heading is added to that chapter, to read as follows: CHAPTER 72. TERRORISM Sec. 72.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Person" means an individual or a group of three or more individuals, a corporation, association, limited liability company, or other entity or organization governed by the Business Organizations Code. (2) "Terrorism" means the commission of violent offences that intentionally promote terror on human life that would be considered a violent act under this states laws whether committed in this state or not. (3) "Terrorist" means a person that willfully and deliberately threatens to commit or commits a terroristic act. (4) "Terrorist Organization" means a group of three or more persons pertaining to a foreign or domestic organization with the intention to commit terrorism. (5) "Terroristic Act" means an act committed with the intent to cause undue public harm through terror by: (A) intimidating, injuring, or coercing the civilian population; (B) influencing the policy of government by intimidation or coercion; (C) affecting the conduct of government; (D) causing the interruption of public communication; (E) causing the interruption for public transportation; (F) causing the interruption of public or private facility operations, public utilities, or other public services; or (G) causing damage to public or private property. Sec. 72.02. TERRORISTIC THREAT. (a) has the meaning assigned by Chapter 22 Sec. 22.07 of the Penal Code Sec. 72.03. TERRORISTIC ATTACK. (a) a person commits an offense when committing one or more of the following offenses during a terroristic act: (1) any offense under Section 22.07; (2) any offense under Chapter 16; (3) any offense under Chapter 19; (4) any offense under Section 20.04, Section 20.05, or Section 20.06; (5) any offense under Section 22.01, Section 22.02, Section 22.021, Section 22.05, Section 22.09, or Section 22.11; (6) any offense under Section 28.02 or Section 28.03; (7) any offense under Section 29.03; (8) any offense under Section 30.05; (9) any offense under Section 32.03, Section 32.43, or Section 32.51; (10) any offense under Section 33.02; (11) any offense under Chapter 33A; (12) any offense under Section 37.11 or Section 37.12; (13) any felony offense under Section 38.05, Section 38.14, or Section 38.152; (14) any offense under Section 42.06, Section 42.0601, Section 42.062, or Section 42.14; (15) any offense under Section 46.05, Section 46.08, Section 46.09, or Section 46.14; (16) any offense under Section 50.02; or (17) any offense under Section 71.02. (b) the punishment for the offense under this section is increased to the punishment prescribed for the next highest category of the offense that is listed in this section. SECTION 2. 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. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.