Final answer:
Criminal negligence is the lowest degree of culpability needed to establish criminal responsibility when the definition of an offense in the Texas Penal Code doesn't prescribe a specific mental state.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the definition of an offense does not prescribe a culpable mental state, but one is nevertheless required under Section 6.02 of the Texas Penal Code (TPC), then criminal negligence is the lowest degree of culpability sufficient to establish criminal responsibility.
Under Section 6.02, mental states are classified as intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence. When the definition of a criminal offense does not specify any mental state, criminal responsibility may still be found if it can be shown that the person acted with criminal negligence. This means that even if the offense does not specify that one must knowingly or intentionally commit the act, someone can still be held criminally responsible for acting with disregard for the known risks that their actions pose.