Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14 and Title 39, Chapter 17.
Under present law, it is a Class E felony offense for a person to camp on state property knowing that the area on which the camping occurs is not specifically designated for use as a camping area by the department or agency responsible for the land. This bill reduces the penalty for such offense to a Class A misdemeanor. Under present law, it is generally a Class A misdemeanor offense for a person to, without legal privilege, intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly obstruct a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, or hallway to which the public, or a substantial portion of the public, has access; or any other place used for the passage of persons, vehicles or conveyances, whether the obstruction arises from the person's acts alone or from the person's acts and the acts of others. The penalty for such offense is enhanced to a Class E felony if the obstruction prevents an emergency vehicle from accessing a highway or street, the obstruction prevents a first responder from responding to an emergency, or if the obstruction prevents access to an emergency exit. This bill removes the enhanced penalty so that any such offense will be a Class A misdemeanor.
Under present law, it is a Class E felony offense for a person to camp on state property knowing that the area on which the camping occurs is not specifically designated for use as a camping area by the department or agency responsible for the land. This bill reduces the penalty for such offense to a Class A misdemeanor. Under present law, it is generally a Class A misdemeanor offense for a person to, without legal privilege, intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly obstruct a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, or hallway to which the public, or a substantial portion of the public, has access; or any other place used for the passage of persons, vehicles or conveyances, whether the obstruction arises from the person's acts alone or from the person's acts and the acts of others. The penalty for such offense is enhanced to a Class E felony if the obstruction prevents an emergency vehicle from accessing a highway or street, the obstruction prevents a first responder from responding to an emergency, or if the obstruction prevents access to an emergency exit. This bill removes the enhanced penalty so that any such offense will be a Class A misdemeanor.
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