Tex. Pen. Code § 47.09

Current with legislation from the 2023 Regular and Special Sessions signed by the Governor as of November 21, 2023.
Section 47.09 - Other Defenses
(a) It is a defense to prosecution under this chapter that the conduct:
(1) was authorized under:
(A) Chapter 2001, Occupations Code;
(B) Chapter 2002, Occupations Code;
(C) Chapter 2004, Occupations Code;
(D) Subtitle A-1, Title 13, Occupations Code (Texas Racing Act); or
(E) Chapter 280, Finance Code;
(2) consisted entirely of participation in the state lottery authorized by Chapter 466, Government Code; or
(3) was a necessary incident to the operation of the state lottery and was directly or indirectly authorized by:
(A) Chapter 466, Government Code;
(B) the lottery division of the Texas Lottery Commission;
(C) the Texas Lottery Commission; or
(D) the director of the lottery division of the Texas Lottery Commission.
(b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Sections 47.04, 47.06(a), and 47.06(c) that the gambling device, equipment, or paraphernalia is aboard an ocean-going vessel that enters the territorial waters of this state to call at a port in this state if:
(1) before the vessel enters the territorial waters of this state, the district attorney or, if there is no district attorney, the county attorney for the county in which the port is located receives notice of the existence of the device, equipment, or paraphernalia on board the vessel and of the anticipated dates on which the vessel will enter and leave the territorial waters of this state;
(2) at all times while the vessel is in the territorial waters of this state all devices, equipment, or paraphernalia are disabled, electronically or by another method, from a remote and secured area of the vessel in a manner that allows only the master or crew of the vessel to remove any disabling device;
(3) at all times while the vessel is in the territorial waters of this state any disabling device is not removed except for the purposes of inspecting or repairing the device, equipment, or paraphernalia; and
(4) the device, equipment, or paraphernalia is not used for gambling or other gaming purposes while the vessel is in the territorial waters of this state.

Tex. Pen. Code § 47.09

Amended by Acts 2017, Texas Acts of the 85th Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 963,Sec. 2.10, eff. 4/1/2019.
Amended by Acts 2017, Texas Acts of the 85th Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 978,Sec. 5, eff. 11/7/2017.
Amended by Acts 2015, Texas Acts of the 84th Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 47,Sec. 3, eff. 1/1/2016.
Amended By Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.835, eff. 9/1/2001.
Amended By Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 844, Sec. 1, eff. 9/1/1999
Amended By Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1035, Sec. 55, eff. 6/19/1997
Amended By Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 111, Sec. 1, eff. 5/16/1997
Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 14.54, eff. 9/1/1995
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. 9/1/1994.