Bill Text: TX HB10 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to certain criminal and civil consequences of trafficking of persons, compelling prostitution, and certain other related criminal offenses; to the prevention, prosecution, and punishment of those offenses, and to compensation paid to victims of those offenses.
Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 24-7)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-09 - Effective on 9/1/15 [HB10 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB10-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 10 | ||
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| rela | ||
| ting to certain criminal and civil consequences of trafficking | ||
| of persons, compelling prostitution, and certain other related | ||
| criminal offenses; to the prevention, prosecution, and punishment | ||
| of those offenses, and to compensation paid to victims of those | ||
| offenses. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Article 12.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| Art. 12.01. FELONIES. Except as provided in Article 12.03, | ||
| felony indictments may be presented within these limits, and not | ||
| afterward: | ||
| (1) no limitation: | ||
| (A) murder and manslaughter; | ||
| (B) sexual assault under Section 22.011(a)(2), | ||
| Penal Code, or aggravated sexual assault under Section | ||
| 22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code; | ||
| (C) sexual assault, if during the investigation | ||
| of the offense biological matter is collected and subjected to | ||
| forensic DNA testing and the testing results show that the matter | ||
| does not match the victim or any other person whose identity is | ||
| readily ascertained; | ||
| (D) continuous sexual abuse of young child or | ||
| children under Section 21.02, Penal Code; | ||
| (E) indecency with a child under Section 21.11, | ||
| Penal Code; | ||
| (F) an offense involving leaving the scene of an | ||
| accident under Section 550.021, Transportation Code, if the | ||
| accident resulted in the death of a person; | ||
| (G) trafficking of persons under Section | ||
| 20A.02(a)(7) or (8), Penal Code; [ |
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| (H) continuous trafficking of persons under | ||
| Section 20A.03, Penal Code; or | ||
| (I) compelling prostitution under Section | ||
| 43.05(a)(2), Penal Code; | ||
| (2) ten years from the date of the commission of the | ||
| offense: | ||
| (A) theft of any estate, real, personal or mixed, | ||
| by an executor, administrator, guardian or trustee, with intent to | ||
| defraud any creditor, heir, legatee, ward, distributee, | ||
| beneficiary or settlor of a trust interested in such estate; | ||
| (B) theft by a public servant of government | ||
| property over which he exercises control in his official capacity; | ||
| (C) forgery or the uttering, using or passing of | ||
| forged instruments; | ||
| (D) injury to an elderly or disabled individual | ||
| punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section 22.04, | ||
| Penal Code; | ||
| (E) sexual assault, except as provided by | ||
| Subdivision (1); | ||
| (F) arson; | ||
| (G) trafficking of persons under Section | ||
| 20A.02(a)(1), (2), (3), or (4), Penal Code; or | ||
| (H) compelling prostitution under Section | ||
| 43.05(a)(1), Penal Code; | ||
| (3) seven years from the date of the commission of the | ||
| offense: | ||
| (A) misapplication of fiduciary property or | ||
| property of a financial institution; | ||
| (B) securing execution of document by deception; | ||
| (C) a felony violation under Chapter 162, Tax | ||
| Code; | ||
| (D) false statement to obtain property or credit | ||
| under Section 32.32, Penal Code; | ||
| (E) money laundering; | ||
| (F) credit card or debit card abuse under Section | ||
| 32.31, Penal Code; | ||
| (G) fraudulent use or possession of identifying | ||
| information under Section 32.51, Penal Code; | ||
| (H) Medicaid fraud under Section 35A.02, Penal | ||
| Code; or | ||
| (I) bigamy under Section 25.01, Penal Code, | ||
| except as provided by Subdivision (6); | ||
| (4) five years from the date of the commission of the | ||
| offense: | ||
| (A) theft or robbery; | ||
| (B) except as provided by Subdivision (5), | ||
| kidnapping or burglary; | ||
| (C) injury to an elderly or disabled individual | ||
| that is not punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section | ||
| 22.04, Penal Code; | ||
| (D) abandoning or endangering a child; or | ||
| (E) insurance fraud; | ||
| (5) if the investigation of the offense shows that the | ||
| victim is younger than 17 years of age at the time the offense is | ||
| committed, 20 years from the 18th birthday of the victim of one of | ||
| the following offenses: | ||
| (A) sexual performance by a child under Section | ||
| 43.25, Penal Code; | ||
| (B) aggravated kidnapping under Section | ||
| 20.04(a)(4), Penal Code, if the defendant committed the offense | ||
| with the intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually; or | ||
| (C) burglary under Section 30.02, Penal Code, if | ||
| the offense is punishable under Subsection (d) of that section and | ||
| the defendant committed the offense with the intent to commit an | ||
| offense described by Subdivision (1)(B) or (D) of this article or | ||
| Paragraph (B) of this subdivision; | ||
| (6) ten years from the 18th birthday of the victim of | ||
| the offense: | ||
| (A) trafficking of persons under Section | ||
| 20A.02(a)(5) or (6), Penal Code; | ||
| (B) injury to a child under Section 22.04, Penal | ||
| Code; or | ||
| (C) [ |
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| the investigation of the offense shows that the person, other than | ||
| the legal spouse of the defendant, whom the defendant marries or | ||
| purports to marry or with whom the defendant lives under the | ||
| appearance of being married is younger than 18 years of age at the | ||
| time the offense is committed; or | ||
| (7) three years from the date of the commission of the | ||
| offense: all other felonies. | ||
| SECTION 2. Article 56.32(a)(14), Code of Criminal | ||
| Procedure, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| (14) "Trafficking of persons" means any offense that | ||
| results in a person engaging in forced labor or services, including | ||
| sexual conduct, and that may be prosecuted under Section 20A.02, | ||
| 20A.03, 43.03, 43.04, 43.05, 43.25, 43.251, or 43.26, Penal Code. | ||
| SECTION 3. Article 56.41, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: | ||
| (b-1) Subsection (b)(3) does not apply to a claimant or | ||
| victim who seeks compensation for criminally injurious conduct that | ||
| is: | ||
| (1) in violation of Section 20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code; | ||
| or | ||
| (2) trafficking of persons, other than an offense | ||
| described by Subdivision (1), if the criminally injurious conduct | ||
| the claimant or victim participated in was the result of force, | ||
| fraud, or coercion. | ||
| SECTION 4. Article 56.45, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| Art. 56.45. DENIAL OR REDUCTION OF AWARD. (a) The attorney | ||
| general may deny or reduce an award otherwise payable: | ||
| (1) if the claimant or victim has not substantially | ||
| cooperated with an appropriate law enforcement agency; | ||
| (2) if the claimant or victim bears a share of the | ||
| responsibility for the act or omission giving rise to the claim | ||
| because of the claimant's or victim's behavior; | ||
| (3) to the extent that pecuniary loss is recouped from | ||
| a collateral source; or | ||
| (4) if the claimant or victim was engaging in an | ||
| activity that at the time of the criminally injurious conduct was | ||
| prohibited by law or a rule made under law. | ||
| (b) Subsection (a)(4) does not apply to a claimant or victim | ||
| who seeks compensation for criminally injurious conduct that is: | ||
| (1) in violation of Section 20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code; | ||
| or | ||
| (2) trafficking of persons, other than an offense | ||
| described by Subdivision (1), if the activity the claimant or | ||
| victim engaged in was the result of force, fraud, or coercion. | ||
| SECTION 5. Article 62.001(5), Code of Criminal Procedure, | ||
| is amended to read as follows: | ||
| (5) "Reportable conviction or adjudication" means a | ||
| conviction or adjudication, including an adjudication of | ||
| delinquent conduct or a deferred adjudication, that, regardless of | ||
| the pendency of an appeal, is a conviction for or an adjudication | ||
| for or based on: | ||
| (A) a violation of Section 21.02 (Continuous | ||
| sexual abuse of young child or children), 21.11 (Indecency with a | ||
| child), 22.011 (Sexual assault), 22.021 (Aggravated sexual | ||
| assault), or 25.02 (Prohibited sexual conduct), Penal Code; | ||
| (B) a violation of Section 43.05 (Compelling | ||
| prostitution), 43.25 (Sexual performance by a child), or 43.26 | ||
| (Possession or promotion of child pornography), Penal Code; | ||
| (B-1) a violation of Section 43.02 | ||
| (Prostitution), Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under | ||
| Subsection (c)(3) of that section; | ||
| (C) a violation of Section 20.04(a)(4) | ||
| (Aggravated kidnapping), Penal Code, if the actor committed the | ||
| offense or engaged in the conduct with intent to violate or abuse | ||
| the victim sexually; | ||
| (D) a violation of Section 30.02 (Burglary), | ||
| Penal Code, if the offense or conduct is punishable under | ||
| Subsection (d) of that section and the actor committed the offense | ||
| or engaged in the conduct with intent to commit a felony listed in | ||
| Paragraph (A) or (C); | ||
| (E) a violation of Section 20.02 (Unlawful | ||
| restraint), 20.03 (Kidnapping), or 20.04 (Aggravated kidnapping), | ||
| Penal Code, if, as applicable: | ||
| (i) the judgment in the case contains an | ||
| affirmative finding under Article 42.015; or | ||
| (ii) the order in the hearing or the papers | ||
| in the case contain an affirmative finding that the victim or | ||
| intended victim was younger than 17 years of age; | ||
| (F) the second violation of Section 21.08 | ||
| (Indecent exposure), Penal Code, but not if the second violation | ||
| results in a deferred adjudication; | ||
| (G) an attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation, as | ||
| defined by Chapter 15, Penal Code, to commit an offense or engage in | ||
| conduct listed in Paragraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), or (K); | ||
| (H) a violation of the laws of another state, | ||
| federal law, the laws of a foreign country, or the Uniform Code of | ||
| Military Justice for or based on the violation of an offense | ||
| containing elements that are substantially similar to the elements | ||
| of an offense listed under Paragraph (A), (B), (B-1), (C), (D), (E), | ||
| (G), (J), or (K), but not if the violation results in a deferred | ||
| adjudication; | ||
| (I) the second violation of the laws of another | ||
| state, federal law, the laws of a foreign country, or the Uniform | ||
| Code of Military Justice for or based on the violation of an offense | ||
| containing elements that are substantially similar to the elements | ||
| of the offense of indecent exposure, but not if the second violation | ||
| results in a deferred adjudication; | ||
| (J) a violation of Section 33.021 (Online | ||
| solicitation of a minor), Penal Code; or | ||
| (K) a violation of Section 20A.02(a)(3), (4), | ||
| (7), or (8) (Trafficking of persons), Penal Code. | ||
| SECTION 6. Section 38.004(a), Education Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (a) The agency shall develop a policy governing the reports | ||
| of child abuse or neglect, including reports related to the | ||
| trafficking of a child under Section 20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or | ||
| (8), Penal Code, as required by Chapter 261, Family Code, for [ |
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| school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and their | ||
| employees. The policy must provide for cooperation with law | ||
| enforcement child abuse investigations without the consent of the | ||
| child's parents if necessary, including investigations by the | ||
| Department of Family and Protective Services. The policy must | ||
| require each school district and open-enrollment charter school | ||
| employee to report child abuse or neglect, including the | ||
| trafficking of a child under Section 20A.02(a)(5) or (7), Penal | ||
| Code, in the manner required by Chapter 261, Family Code. Each | ||
| school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt the | ||
| policy. | ||
| SECTION 7. Section 22.011, Government Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 22.011. JUDICIAL INSTRUCTION RELATED TO FAMILY | ||
| VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS, AND CHILD ABUSE. | ||
| (a) The supreme court shall provide judicial training related to | ||
| the problems of family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of | ||
| persons, and child abuse and to issues concerning sex offender | ||
| characteristics. | ||
| (d) The instruction must include information about: | ||
| (1) statutory and case law relating to videotaping a | ||
| child's testimony and relating to competency of children to | ||
| testify; | ||
| (2) methods for eliminating the trauma to the child | ||
| caused by the court process; | ||
| (3) case law, statutory law, and procedural rules | ||
| relating to family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of | ||
| persons, and child abuse; | ||
| (4) methods for providing protection for victims of | ||
| family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, or child | ||
| abuse; | ||
| (5) available community and state resources for | ||
| counseling and other aid to victims and to offenders; | ||
| (6) gender bias in the judicial process; | ||
| (7) dynamics and effects of being a victim of family | ||
| violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, or child abuse; | ||
| and | ||
| (8) issues concerning sex offender characteristics. | ||
| SECTION 8. The heading to Section 22.110, Government Code, | ||
| is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 22.110. JUDICIAL INSTRUCTION RELATED TO FAMILY | ||
| VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS, AND CHILD ABUSE | ||
| AND NEGLECT. | ||
| SECTION 9. Sections 22.110(a), (b), and (d), Government | ||
| Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) The court of criminal appeals shall assure that judicial | ||
| training related to the problems of family violence, sexual | ||
| assault, trafficking of persons, and child abuse and neglect is | ||
| provided. | ||
| (b) The court of criminal appeals shall adopt the rules | ||
| necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The rules | ||
| must require each district judge, judge of a statutory county | ||
| court, associate judge appointed under Chapter 54A of this code or | ||
| Chapter 201, Family Code, master, referee, and magistrate to | ||
| complete at least 12 hours of the training within the judge's first | ||
| term of office or the judicial officer's first four years of service | ||
| and provide a method for certification of completion of that | ||
| training. At least four hours of the training must be dedicated to | ||
| issues related to trafficking of persons and child abuse and | ||
| neglect and must cover at least two of the topics described in | ||
| Subsections (d)(8)-(12). At least six hours of the training must be | ||
| dedicated to the training described by Subsections (d)(5), (6), and | ||
| (7). The rules must require each judge and judicial officer to | ||
| complete an additional five hours of training during each | ||
| additional term in office or four years of service. At least two | ||
| hours of the additional training must be dedicated to issues | ||
| related to trafficking of persons and child abuse and neglect. The | ||
| rules must exempt from the training requirement of this subsection | ||
| each judge or judicial officer who files an affidavit stating that | ||
| the judge or judicial officer does not hear any cases involving | ||
| family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, or child | ||
| abuse and neglect. | ||
| (d) The instruction must include information about: | ||
| (1) statutory and case law relating to videotaping a | ||
| child's testimony and relating to competency of children to | ||
| testify; | ||
| (2) methods for eliminating the trauma to the child | ||
| caused by the court process; | ||
| (3) case law, statutory law, and procedural rules | ||
| relating to family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of | ||
| persons, and child abuse and neglect; | ||
| (4) methods for providing protection for victims of | ||
| family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, and child | ||
| abuse and neglect; | ||
| (5) available community and state resources for | ||
| counseling and other aid to victims and to offenders; | ||
| (6) gender bias in the judicial process; | ||
| (7) dynamics and effects of being a victim of family | ||
| violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, or child abuse | ||
| and neglect; | ||
| (8) dynamics of sexual abuse of children, including | ||
| child abuse accommodation syndrome and grooming; | ||
| (9) impact of substance abuse on an unborn child and on | ||
| a person's ability to care for a child; | ||
| (10) issues of attachment and bonding between children | ||
| and caregivers; | ||
| (11) issues of child development that pertain to | ||
| trafficking of persons and child abuse and neglect; and | ||
| (12) medical findings regarding physical abuse, | ||
| sexual abuse, trafficking of persons, and child abuse and neglect. | ||
| SECTION 10. Section 402.035, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| amending Subsections (c), (d), and (h) and adding Subsections (f-1) | ||
| and (f-2) to read as follows: | ||
| (c) The task force is composed of the following: | ||
| (1) the governor or the governor's designee; | ||
| (2) the attorney general or the attorney general's | ||
| designee; | ||
| (3) the executive commissioner of the Health and Human | ||
| Services Commission or the executive commissioner's designee; | ||
| (4) the commissioner of the Department of Family and | ||
| Protective Services or the commissioner's designee; | ||
| (5) the commissioner of the Department of State Health | ||
| Services or the commissioner's designee; | ||
| (6) the public safety director of the Department of | ||
| Public Safety or the director's designee; | ||
| (7) one representative from each of the following | ||
| state agencies, appointed by the chief administrative officer of | ||
| the respective agency: | ||
| (A) the Texas Workforce Commission; | ||
| (B) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; | ||
| (C) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [ |
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| (D) the Texas Education Agency [ |
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| (E) the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; | ||
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| (F) the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; and | ||
| (G) the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial | ||
| Commission for Children, Youth and Families; and | ||
| (8) as appointed by the attorney general: | ||
| (A) a chief public defender employed by a public | ||
| defender's office, as defined by Article 26.044(a), Code of | ||
| Criminal Procedure, or an attorney designated by the chief public | ||
| defender; | ||
| (B) an attorney representing the state; | ||
| (C) a representative of: | ||
| (i) a hotel and motel association; | ||
| (ii) a district and county attorneys | ||
| association; and | ||
| (iii) a state police association; | ||
| (D) representatives of sheriff's departments; | ||
| (E) representatives of local law enforcement | ||
| agencies affected by human trafficking; and | ||
| (F) representatives of nongovernmental entities | ||
| making comprehensive efforts to combat human trafficking by: | ||
| (i) identifying human trafficking victims; | ||
| (ii) providing legal or other services to | ||
| human trafficking victims; | ||
| (iii) participating in community outreach | ||
| or public awareness efforts regarding human trafficking; | ||
| (iv) providing or developing training | ||
| regarding the prevention of human trafficking; or | ||
| (v) engaging in other activities designed | ||
| to prevent human trafficking. | ||
| (d) The task force shall: | ||
| (1) collaborate, as needed to fulfill the duties of | ||
| the task force, with: | ||
| (A) United States Attorneys' Offices [ |
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| for all of the federal districts of Texas; and | ||
| (B) special agents or customs and border | ||
| protection officers and border patrol agents of: | ||
| (i) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; | ||
| (ii) the United States Drug Enforcement | ||
| Administration; | ||
| (iii) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, | ||
| Firearms and Explosives; | ||
| (iv) United States Immigration and Customs | ||
| Enforcement; or | ||
| (v) the United States Department of | ||
| Homeland Security; | ||
| (2) collect, organize, and periodically publish | ||
| statistical data on the nature and extent of human trafficking in | ||
| this state, including data described by Subdivisions (4)(A), (B), | ||
| (C), (D), and (E); | ||
| (3) solicit cooperation and assistance from state and | ||
| local governmental agencies, political subdivisions of the state, | ||
| nongovernmental organizations, and other persons, as appropriate, | ||
| for the purpose of collecting and organizing statistical data under | ||
| Subdivision (2); | ||
| (4) ensure that each state or local governmental | ||
| agency and political subdivision of the state and each state or | ||
| local law enforcement agency, district attorney, or county attorney | ||
| that assists in the prevention of human trafficking collects | ||
| statistical data related to human trafficking, including, as | ||
| appropriate: | ||
| (A) the number of investigations concerning, | ||
| arrests and prosecutions for, and convictions of: | ||
| (i) the offense of trafficking of persons; | ||
| and | ||
| (ii) the offense of forgery or an offense | ||
| under Chapter 43, Penal Code, if committed as part of a criminal | ||
| episode involving the trafficking of persons; | ||
| (B) demographic information on persons who are | ||
| convicted of offenses described by Paragraph (A) and persons who | ||
| are the victims of those offenses; | ||
| (C) geographic routes by which human trafficking | ||
| victims are trafficked, including routes by which victims are | ||
| trafficked across this state's international border, and | ||
| geographic patterns in human trafficking, including the country or | ||
| state of origin and the country or state of destination; | ||
| (D) means of transportation and methods used by | ||
| persons who engage in trafficking to transport their victims; and | ||
| (E) social and economic factors that create a | ||
| demand for the labor or services that victims of human trafficking | ||
| are forced to provide; | ||
| (5) work with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement | ||
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| for law enforcement personnel, victim service providers, and | ||
| medical service providers to identify victims of human trafficking; | ||
| (6) work with the Texas Education Agency, the | ||
| Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Health and | ||
| Human Services Commission to: | ||
| (A) develop a list of key indicators that a | ||
| person is a victim of human trafficking; | ||
| (B) develop a standardized curriculum for | ||
| training doctors, nurses, emergency medical services personnel, | ||
| teachers, school counselors, school administrators, and personnel | ||
| from the Department of Family and Protective Services and the | ||
| Health and Human Services Commission to identify and assist victims | ||
| of human trafficking; | ||
| (C) train doctors, nurses, emergency medical | ||
| services personnel, teachers, school counselors, school | ||
| administrators, and personnel from the Department of Family and | ||
| Protective Services and the Health and Human Services Commission to | ||
| identify and assist victims of human trafficking; | ||
| (D) develop and conduct training for personnel | ||
| from the Department of Family and Protective Services and the | ||
| Health and Human Services Commission on methods for identifying | ||
| children in foster care who may be at risk of becoming victims of | ||
| human trafficking; and | ||
| (E) develop a process for referring identified | ||
| human trafficking victims and individuals at risk of becoming | ||
| victims to appropriate entities for services; | ||
| (7) on the request of a judge of a county court, county | ||
| court at law, or district court or a county attorney, district | ||
| attorney, or criminal district attorney, assist and train the judge | ||
| or the judge's staff or the attorney or the attorney's staff in the | ||
| recognition and prevention of human trafficking; | ||
| (8) examine training protocols related to human | ||
| trafficking issues, as developed and implemented by federal, state, | ||
| and local law enforcement agencies; | ||
| (9) collaborate with state and local governmental | ||
| agencies, political subdivisions of the state, and nongovernmental | ||
| organizations to implement a media awareness campaign in | ||
| communities affected by human trafficking; | ||
| (10) develop recommendations on how to strengthen | ||
| state and local efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect and | ||
| assist human trafficking victims, curb markets and other economic | ||
| avenues that facilitate human trafficking and investigate and | ||
| prosecute human trafficking offenders; [ |
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| (11) examine the extent to which human trafficking is | ||
| associated with the operation of sexually oriented businesses, as | ||
| defined by Section 243.002, Local Government Code, and the | ||
| workplace or public health concerns that are created by the | ||
| association of human trafficking and the operation of sexually | ||
| oriented businesses; and | ||
| (12) identify and report to the governor and | ||
| legislature on laws, licensure requirements, or other regulations | ||
| that can be passed at the state and local level to curb trafficking | ||
| using the Internet and in sexually oriented businesses. | ||
| (f-1) The following state agencies shall designate an | ||
| individual who is authorized to coordinate the agency's resources | ||
| to strengthen state and local efforts to prevent human trafficking, | ||
| protect and assist human trafficking victims, and investigate and | ||
| prosecute human trafficking offenders: | ||
| (1) the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; | ||
| (2) the Department of Family and Protective Services; | ||
| (3) the Department of Public Safety; | ||
| (4) the Department of State Health Services; | ||
| (5) the Health and Human Services Commission; | ||
| (6) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; | ||
| (7) the office of the attorney general; and | ||
| (8) the office of the governor. | ||
| (f-2) Each state agency shall provide to the task force the | ||
| name of the individual designated under Subsection (f-1). | ||
| (h) This section expires September 1, 2017 [ |
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| SECTION 11. Chapter 772, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 772.0062 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 772.0062. CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING PREVENTION UNIT. (a) | ||
| In this section: | ||
| (1) "Child sex trafficking" means conduct prohibited | ||
| under Section 20A.02(a)(7) or (8), Penal Code. | ||
| (2) "Unit" means the Child Sex Trafficking Prevention | ||
| Unit. | ||
| (b) The governor shall establish the Child Sex Trafficking | ||
| Prevention Unit within the criminal justice division established | ||
| under Section 772.006. | ||
| (c) The governor shall appoint a director for the unit to | ||
| serve at the pleasure of the governor. | ||
| (d) The unit shall: | ||
| (1) assist the following agencies in leveraging and | ||
| coordinating state resources directed toward child sex trafficking | ||
| prevention: | ||
| (A) the office of the attorney general; | ||
| (B) the Health and Human Services Commission; | ||
| (C) the Department of Family and Protective | ||
| Services; | ||
| (D) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; | ||
| (E) the Department of State Health Services; | ||
| (F) the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; and | ||
| (G) the Department of Public Safety; | ||
| (2) facilitate collaborative efforts among the | ||
| agencies under Subdivision (1) to: | ||
| (A) prevent child sex trafficking; | ||
| (B) recover victims of child sex trafficking; and | ||
| (C) place victims of child sex trafficking in | ||
| suitable short-term and long-term housing; | ||
| (3) collect and analyze research and information in | ||
| all areas related to child sex trafficking, and distribute the | ||
| research, information, and analyses to the agencies and to relevant | ||
| nonprofit organizations; | ||
| (4) refer victims of child sex trafficking to | ||
| available rehabilitation programs and other resources; | ||
| (5) provide support for child sex trafficking | ||
| prosecutions; and | ||
| (6) develop recommendations for improving state | ||
| efforts to prevent child sex trafficking, to be submitted to the | ||
| legislature as part of the criminal justice division's biennial | ||
| report required under Section 772.006(a)(9). | ||
| SECTION 12. Section 20A.03(a), Penal Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (a) A person commits an offense if, during a period that is | ||
| 30 or more days in duration, the person engages two or more times in | ||
| conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02 against | ||
| one or more victims. | ||
| SECTION 13. Chapter 20A, Penal Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Section 20A.04 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 20A.04. ACCOMPLICE WITNESS; TESTIMONY AND IMMUNITY. | ||
| (a) A party to an offense under this chapter may be required to | ||
| provide evidence or testify about the offense. | ||
| (b) A party to an offense under this chapter may not be | ||
| prosecuted for any offense about which the party is required to | ||
| provide evidence or testify, and the evidence and testimony may not | ||
| be used against the party in any adjudicatory proceeding except a | ||
| prosecution for aggravated perjury. For purposes of this | ||
| subsection, "adjudicatory proceeding" means a proceeding before a | ||
| court or any other agency of government in which the legal rights, | ||
| powers, duties, or privileges of specified parties are determined. | ||
| (c) A conviction under this chapter may be had on the | ||
| uncorroborated testimony of a party to the offense. | ||
| SECTION 14. Section 43.02(c), Penal Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (c) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor, | ||
| except that the offense is: | ||
| (1) a Class A misdemeanor if the actor has previously | ||
| been convicted one or two times of an offense under this section; | ||
| (2) a state jail felony if the actor has previously | ||
| been convicted three or more times of an offense under this section; | ||
| or | ||
| (3) a felony of the second degree if the person | ||
| solicited is: | ||
| (A) younger than 18 years of age, regardless of | ||
| whether the actor knows the age of the person solicited at the time | ||
| the actor commits the offense; | ||
| (B) represented to the actor as being younger | ||
| than 18 years of age; or | ||
| (C) believed by the actor to be younger than 18 | ||
| years of age. | ||
| SECTION 15. The change in law made by this Act to Article | ||
| 12.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, does not apply to an offense if | ||
| the prosecution of that offense becomes barred by limitation before | ||
| the effective date of this Act. The prosecution of that offense | ||
| remains barred as if this Act had not taken effect. | ||
| SECTION 16. The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter | ||
| 56, Code of Criminal Procedure, apply only to a criminal offense | ||
| committed or a violation that occurs on or after the effective date | ||
| of this Act. A criminal offense committed or a violation that | ||
| occurs before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law | ||
| in effect on the date the offense was committed or the violation | ||
| occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
| purpose. For purposes of this section, a criminal offense was | ||
| committed or a violation occurred before the effective date of this | ||
| Act if any element of the offense or violation occurred before that | ||
| date. | ||
| SECTION 17. The changes in law made by this Act to Article | ||
| 62.001(5), Code of Criminal Procedure, and Sections 20A.03 and | ||
| 43.02, Penal Code, apply only to an offense committed on or after | ||
| the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the | ||
| effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the | ||
| date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in | ||
| effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense | ||
| was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element | ||
| of the offense occurred before that date. | ||
| SECTION 18. (a) Not later than December 1, 2015, the | ||
| Supreme Court of Texas shall adopt the rules necessary to provide | ||
| the training required under Section 22.011, Government Code, as | ||
| amended by this Act. | ||
| (b) Not later than December 1, 2015, the Texas Court of | ||
| Criminal Appeals shall adopt the rules necessary to provide the | ||
| training required under Section 22.110, Government Code, as amended | ||
| by this Act. | ||
| (c) Notwithstanding Section 22.110, Government Code, as | ||
| amended by this Act, a judge, master, referee, and magistrate who is | ||
| in office on the effective date of this Act must complete the | ||
| training required by Section 22.110, Government Code, as amended by | ||
| this Act, as applicable, not later than December 1, 2017. | ||
| SECTION 19. The change in law made by this Act in adding | ||
| Section 20A.04, Penal Code, applies to a criminal proceeding that | ||
| commences on or after the effective date of this Act. A criminal | ||
| proceeding that commences before the effective date of this Act is | ||
| covered by the law in effect when the proceeding commenced, and the | ||
| former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 20. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 10 was passed by the House on March | ||
| 17, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 10 on May 26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 | ||
| present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 10 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
