TITLE: Relating to criminal and civil liability for disabling, damaging, or destroying an unmanned aircraft.

SUMMARY: Relating to criminal and civil liability for disabling, damaging, or destroying an unmanned aircraft.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to criminal and civil liability for disabling, damaging, or destroying an unmanned aircraft. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 423, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 423.010 to read as follows: Sec. 423.010. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE: DISABLING, DAMAGING, OR DESTROYING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution for an offense involving damage or destruction of property under Section 28.03 or 28.04, Penal Code, or to civil liability for the damage or destruction of an unmanned aircraft that the person: (1) was on property owned or legally occupied by the person; (2) used a firearm legally possessed by the person to disable, damage, or destroy an unmanned aircraft that the person did not authorize to be on or over the property; and (3) was not prohibited from discharging the firearm under Section 42.12, Penal Code, other law or local regulation, or a dedicatory instrument governing use of the property. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, conduct occurs before the effective date of this Act if any element of the conduct occurs before the effective date. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.