87R11119 JSC-D     By: Reynolds H.B. No. 2358       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain false   reports that are made to certain law enforcement and corrections   entities.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 37.08, Penal Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as   follows:          (c)  Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (d), an [An]   offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.          (d)  If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this   section that the false statement consisted of an allegation that   another person engaged in conduct violating a penal law of this   state, the offense is the greater of:                (1)  the category of offense of the most serious   offense falsely reported; or                (2)  a Class A misdemeanor.          SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies 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 occurred   before that date.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.