Tex. Penal Code § 12.501
This is the official text of Tex. Penal Code § 12.501, part of Texas’s Penal Code — defines crimes and punishments in Texas.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 12.501. PENALTY FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES COMMITTED IN RETALIATION FOR OR ON ACCOUNT OF PERSON'S SERVICE OR STATUS AS PUBLIC SERVANT.
Official statutory text
(a) In this section, "public servant" has the meaning assigned by Section 36.06.
(b) Subject to Subsection (d), the punishment for an offense described by Subsection (c) is increased to the punishment prescribed for the next higher category of offense if it is shown on the trial of the offense that:
(1) the offense:
(A) was committed against a person the actor knows is a public servant or a member of a public servant's family or household; or
(B) involves property that the actor knows belongs to, is under the control of, or is lawfully possessed by a public servant; and
(2) the offense was committed in retaliation for or on account of the service or status of the person as a public servant.
(c) The increase in punishment authorized by this section applies only to:
(1) an offense under Section 21.16, 21.18, 21.19, 22.011, 28.02, 28.03, 30.05, 33.02, 42.07, or 42.072; or
(2) an offense under Section 32.51, other than an offense punishable under Subsection (c-1) of that section.
(d) If an offense described by Subsection (c) is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, the minimum term of confinement for the offense is increased to 180 days. If an offense described by Subsection (c) is punishable as a felony of the first degree, the punishment for that offense may not be increased under this section.
(e) For purposes of this section, "member of a public servant's family" means a person related to the public servant within the second degree of consanguinity.
(b) Subject to Subsection (d), the punishment for an offense described by Subsection (c) is increased to the punishment prescribed for the next higher category of offense if it is shown on the trial of the offense that:
(1) the offense:
(A) was committed against a person the actor knows is a public servant or a member of a public servant's family or household; or
(B) involves property that the actor knows belongs to, is under the control of, or is lawfully possessed by a public servant; and
(2) the offense was committed in retaliation for or on account of the service or status of the person as a public servant.
(c) The increase in punishment authorized by this section applies only to:
(1) an offense under Section 21.16, 21.18, 21.19, 22.011, 28.02, 28.03, 30.05, 33.02, 42.07, or 42.072; or
(2) an offense under Section 32.51, other than an offense punishable under Subsection (c-1) of that section.
(d) If an offense described by Subsection (c) is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, the minimum term of confinement for the offense is increased to 180 days. If an offense described by Subsection (c) is punishable as a felony of the first degree, the punishment for that offense may not be increased under this section.
(e) For purposes of this section, "member of a public servant's family" means a person related to the public servant within the second degree of consanguinity.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a criminal defense matter in Texas?
See all Texas Criminal Defense lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.