Texas Penal Code 32.50 – Deceptive Preparation and Marketing of Academic Product
(a) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Academic product” means a term paper, thesis, dissertation, essay, report, recording, work of art, or other written, recorded, pictorial, or artistic product or material submitted or intended to be submitted by a person to satisfy an academic requirement of the person.
(2) “Academic requirement” means a requirement or prerequisite to receive course credit or to complete a course of study or degree, diploma, or certificate program at an institution of higher education.
(3) “Institution of higher education” means an institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education as those terms are defined by § 61.003, Education Code, or a private postsecondary educational institution as that term is defined by § 61.302, Education Code.
(b) A person commits an offense if, with intent to make a profit, the person prepares, sells, offers or advertises for sale, or delivers to another person an academic product when the person knows, or should reasonably have known, that a person intends to submit or use the academic product to satisfy an academic requirement of a person other than the person who prepared the product.
Terms Used In Texas Penal Code 32.50
- Actor: means a person whose criminal responsibility is in issue in a criminal action. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
- Another: means a person other than the actor. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
- Conduct: means an act or omission and its accompanying mental state. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
- Misdemeanor: means an offense so designated by law or punishable by fine, by confinement in jail, or by both fine and confinement in jail. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Person: means an individual or a corporation, association, limited liability company, or other entity or organization governed by the Business Organizations Code. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
- Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) A person commits an offense if, with intent to induce another person to enter into an agreement or obligation to obtain or have prepared an academic product, the person knowingly makes or disseminates a written or oral statement that the person will prepare or cause to be prepared an academic product to be sold for use in satisfying an academic requirement of a person other than the person who prepared the product.
(d) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor‘s conduct consisted solely of action taken as an employee of an institution of higher education in providing instruction, counseling, or tutoring in research or writing to students of the institution.
(e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor’s conduct consisted solely of offering or providing tutorial or editing assistance to another person in connection with the other person’s preparation of an academic product to satisfy the other person’s academic requirement, and the actor does not offer or provide substantial preparation, writing, or research in the production of the academic product.
(f) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor’s conduct consisted solely of typing, transcribing, or reproducing a manuscript for a fee, or of offering to do so.
(g) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.