SB2595 • 2025

Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harassing, intimidating, or threatening another person while concealing identity with a mask or other headgear.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Middleton
Last action: 2025-05-27
Official status: 05/27/2025 H Postponed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harassing, intimidating, or threatening another person while concealing identity with a mask or other headgear.

What This Bill Does

Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harassing, intimidating, or threatening another person while concealing identity with a mask or other headgear.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online
Read 2nd time
2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online
Postponed. 6/3/25 10:00 AM
2025-05-25 Texas Legislature Online
Placed on General State Calendar
2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online
Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online
Committee report distributed
2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online
Committee report sent to Calendars
2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in Calendars
2025-05-22 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in formal meeting
2025-05-22 Texas Legislature Online
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
2025-05-21 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in formal meeting
2025-05-21 Texas Legislature Online
Left pending in committee
2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in formal meeting
2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online
Left pending in committee
2025-05-13 Texas Legislature Online
Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
2025-05-13 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in public hearing
2025-05-13 Texas Legislature Online
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
2025-05-13 Texas Legislature Online
Left pending in committee
2025-05-12 Texas Legislature Online
Posting rule suspended
2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online
Read first time
2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online
Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online
Received from the Senate
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Rules suspended-Regular order of business
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Record vote
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Record vote
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Three day rule suspended
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Record vote
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Read 3rd time
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Passed
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Record vote
2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online
Reported engrossed
2025-05-05 Texas Legislature Online
Placed on intent calendar
2025-04-22 Texas Legislature Online
Reported favorably as substituted
2025-04-22 Texas Legislature Online
Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
2025-04-22 Texas Legislature Online
Committee report printed and distributed
2025-04-16 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in public hearing
2025-04-16 Texas Legislature Online
Vote taken in committee
2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online
Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online
Considered in public hearing
2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online
Testimony taken in committee
2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online
Left pending in committee
2025-04-07 Texas Legislature Online
Rereferred to committee
2025-04-07 Texas Legislature Online
Referred to State Affairs
2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online
Read first time
2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online
Referred to Criminal Justice
2025-03-13 Texas Legislature Online
Received by the Secretary of the Senate
2025-03-13 Texas Legislature Online
Filed

Official Summary Text

Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harassing, intimidating, or threatening another person while concealing identity with a mask or other headgear.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

89(R) SB 2595 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

By: Middleton

S.B. No. 2595

(Oliverson)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harassing,

intimidating, or threatening another person while concealing

identity with a mask or other headgear.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Penal Code, is amended by adding

Section 42.16 to read as follows:

Sec.

42.16.

HARASSING, INTIMIDATING, OR THREATENING PERSON

WHILE CONCEALING IDENTITY WITH MASK OR OTHER HEADGEAR.

(a) In this

section:

(1)

"Harass" means to engage in a pattern of conduct

directed at a particular person or group of persons that is intended

to cause the person or group to:

(A) fear for the person's or group's safety; or

(B) experience substantial emotional distress.

(2)

"Intimidate" means to engage in conduct that is

intended to cause another person or group of persons, out of fear

for the person's or group's safety, to take, or refrain from taking,

certain actions.

(3)

"Mask or other headgear" means any article or

device worn on a person's head that tends to conceal the identity

of, or substantially increase the difficulty in identifying, the

person wearing the article or device.

(4)

"Threaten" means to communicate a clear intention

to cause imminent bodily injury or death to a person.

(b)

A person commits an offense if the person, while wearing

a mask or other headgear for the purpose of concealing the identity

of the person or substantially increasing the difficulty in

identifying the person, intentionally harasses, intimidates, or

threatens another person or group of persons in a public place.

(c) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

(d)

It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this

section that the mask or other headgear is worn primarily:

(1)

to celebrate a holiday or participate in a

celebration at which a mask or other headgear is commonly worn,

including Halloween or a masquerade ball;

(2)

to ensure physical safety while engaged in an

occupation, trade, or profession;

(3)

to ensure protection from the weather or while

participating in a winter sport;

(4)

for purposes of a theatrical production or other

artistic endeavor;

(5)

for purposes of ensuring safety during an

emergency, including while participating in an emergency drill;

(6)

to protect a person's health or ensure that the

person does not spread illness; or

(7) for any religious purpose.

(e)

If conduct constituting an offense under this section

also constitutes an offense under another section of this code, the

actor may be prosecuted under either section or both sections.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.