Bill > HB548

This bill modifies the criminal penalties for burglary of a vehicle and related community supervision provisions. Specifically, the legislation changes the offense classification from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony for first-time vehicle burglary, with increased penalties for repeat offenders. For a first repeat offense, the penalty becomes a state jail felony with a mandatory minimum one-year confinement (increased from six months), and for two or more prior convictions, the offense escalates to a third-degree felony. Additional heightened penalties apply for breaking into rail cars or vehicles owned by prescription drug wholesalers. The bill also adjusts the maximum community service hours for different felony classifications, reducing hours for state jail felonies and updating community service requirements. A previous article related to community supervision is repealed, and the changes will only apply to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025. These modifications aim to create stricter consequences for vehicle burglary and provide more structured sentencing guidelines.

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https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB548