This section makes stalking an offense when a person, on more than one occasion and as part of the same course of conduct, knowingly engages in threatening or harmful conduct directed at a specific person.
Sec. 42.072. STALKING. (a) A person commits an offense if the person, on more than one occasion and pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct that is directed at a specific other person, knowingly engages in conduct that: (1) constitutes an offense under Section 42.07, or that the actor knows or reasonably should know the other person will regard as threatening: (A) bodily injury or death for the other person; or (B) that an offense will be committed against: (i) a member of the other person's family or household; (ii) an individual with whom the other person has a dating relationship; or (iii) the other person's property; (2) causes the other person, a member of the other person's family or household, or an individual with whom the other person has a dating relationship: (A) to be placed in fear of bodily injury or death or in fear that an offense will be committed against the other person, a member of the other person's family or household, or an individual with whom the other person has a dating relationship, or the other person's property; or (B) to feel harassed, terrified, intimidated, annoyed, alarmed, abused, tormented, embarrassed, or offended; and (3) would cause a reasonable person under circumstances similar to the circumstances of the other person to: (A) fear bodily injury or death for the person; (B) fear that an offense will be committed against a member of the person's family or household or an individual with whom the person has a dating relationship; (C) fear that an offense will be committed against the person's property; or (D) feel harassed, terrified, intimidated, annoyed, alarmed, abused, tormented, embarrassed, or offended. (b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree, except that the offense is a felony of the second degree if the actor has previously been convicted of an offense under this section or of an offense under any of the following laws that contains elements that are substantially similar to the elements of an offense under this section: (1) the laws of another state; (2) the laws of a federally recognized Indian tribe; (3) the laws of a territory of the United States; or (4) federal law. (c) For purposes of this section, a trier of fact may find that different types of conduct described by Subsection (a), if engaged in on more than one occasion, constitute conduct that is engaged in pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct. (d) In this section: (1) "Dating relationship," "family," "household," and "member of a household" have the meanings assigned by Chapter 71, Family Code. (2) "Property" includes a pet, companion animal, or assistance animal, as defined by Section 121.002, Human Resources Code. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 28, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 15.02(e), eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1222, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 591 (S.B. 82), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 1606), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 947 (S.B. 1717), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2023.