HBA-BSM, EDN H.B. 810 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 810 By: McReynolds Criminal Jurisprudence 3/18/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the penalty for a bomb threat at a public school or against certain public services is a state jail felony, and a bomb hoax under such circumstances is a Class A misdemeanor. A bomb threat or hoax can cause school districts to incur needless costs, as well as potentially endanger students and disrupt classroom learning. A bomb threat or hoax against a public service can disrupt service and cause public safety resources to be wasted on a false emergency. House Bill 810 increases the penalty for making a false alarm at schools or against public services. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 810 amends the Penal Code to increase the penalty from a state jail felony to a third degree felony for knowingly initiating, communicating, or circulating a false report of a present, past, or future bombing, fire, offense, or other emergency if the false report is of an emergency involving a public primary or secondary school, public communications, public transportation, public water, gas, power supply, or other public service. H.B. 810 also increases the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a third degree felony for knowingly manufacturing, selling, purchasing, transporting, or possessing a hoax bomb with the intent to use it to make another believe that the hoax bomb is an explosive or incendiary device or to cause alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.