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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of and punishment for certain |
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trafficking and prostitution offenses and certain other |
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consequences of those offenses; increasing criminal penalties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 62.001(5), Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(5) "Reportable conviction or adjudication" means a |
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conviction or adjudication, including an adjudication of |
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delinquent conduct or a deferred adjudication, that, regardless of |
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the pendency of an appeal, is a conviction for or an adjudication |
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for or based on: |
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(A) a violation of Section 21.02 (Continuous |
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sexual abuse of young child or children), 21.09 (Bestiality), 21.11 |
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(Indecency with a child), 22.011 (Sexual assault), 22.021 |
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(Aggravated sexual assault), or 25.02 (Prohibited sexual conduct), |
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Penal Code; |
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(B) a violation of Section 43.04 (Aggravated |
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promotion of prostitution), 43.05 (Compelling prostitution), 43.25 |
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(Sexual performance by a child), or 43.26 (Possession or promotion |
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of child pornography), Penal Code; |
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(B-1) a violation of Section 43.02 |
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(Prostitution), Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under |
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Subsection (c-1)(3) of that section; |
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(C) a violation of Section 20.04(a)(4) |
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(Aggravated kidnapping), Penal Code, if the actor committed the |
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offense or engaged in the conduct with intent to violate or abuse |
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the victim sexually; |
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(D) a violation of Section 30.02 (Burglary), |
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Penal Code, if the offense or conduct is punishable under |
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Subsection (d) of that section and the actor committed the offense |
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or engaged in the conduct with intent to commit a felony listed in |
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Paragraph (A) or (C); |
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(E) a violation of Section 20.02 (Unlawful |
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restraint), 20.03 (Kidnapping), or 20.04 (Aggravated kidnapping), |
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Penal Code, if, as applicable: |
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(i) the judgment in the case contains an |
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affirmative finding under Article 42.015; or |
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(ii) the order in the hearing or the papers |
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in the case contain an affirmative finding that the victim or |
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intended victim was younger than 17 years of age; |
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(F) the second violation of Section 21.08 |
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(Indecent exposure), Penal Code, but not if the second violation |
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results in a deferred adjudication; |
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(G) an attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation, as |
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defined by Chapter 15, Penal Code, to commit an offense or engage in |
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conduct listed in Paragraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (K), or (L); |
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(H) a violation of the laws of another state, |
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federal law, the laws of a foreign country, or the Uniform Code of |
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Military Justice for or based on the violation of an offense |
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containing elements that are substantially similar to the elements |
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of an offense listed under Paragraph (A), (B), (B-1), (C), (D), (E), |
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(G), (J), (K), or (L), but not if the violation results in a |
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deferred adjudication; |
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(I) the second violation of the laws of another |
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state, federal law, the laws of a foreign country, or the Uniform |
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Code of Military Justice for or based on the violation of an offense |
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containing elements that are substantially similar to the elements |
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of the offense of indecent exposure, but not if the second violation |
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results in a deferred adjudication; |
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(J) a violation of Section 33.021 (Online |
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solicitation of a minor), Penal Code; |
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(K) a violation of Section 20A.02(a)(3), (4), |
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(7), or (8) (Trafficking of persons), Penal Code; or |
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(L) a violation of Section 20A.03 (Continuous |
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trafficking of persons), Penal Code, if the offense is based partly |
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or wholly on conduct that constitutes an offense under Section |
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20A.02(a)(3), (4), (7), or (8) of that code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 20A.02(a-1), Penal Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), "coercion" as |
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defined by Section 1.07 includes: |
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(1) destroying, concealing, confiscating, or |
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withholding from a [the] trafficked person, or threatening to |
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destroy, conceal, confiscate, or withhold from a [the] trafficked |
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person, the [trafficked] person's actual or purported: |
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(A) [(1)] government records; or |
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(B) [(2)] identifying information or documents; |
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(2) causing a trafficked person, without the person's |
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consent, to become intoxicated, as defined by Section 49.01, to a |
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degree that impairs the person's ability to appraise the nature of |
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the prohibited conduct or to resist engaging in that conduct; or |
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(3) withholding alcohol or a controlled substance to a |
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degree that impairs the ability of a trafficked person with a |
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chemical dependency, as defined by Section 462.001, Health and |
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Safety Code, to appraise the nature of the prohibited conduct or to |
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resist engaging in that conduct. |
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SECTION 3. Section 43.03(b), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third |
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degree [state jail felony], except that the offense is: |
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(1) a felony of the second [third] degree if the actor |
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has been previously convicted of an offense under this section; or |
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(2) a felony of the first [second] degree if the actor |
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engages in conduct described by Subsection (a)(1) or (2) involving |
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a person younger than 18 years of age engaging in prostitution, |
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regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the person at the |
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time of the offense. |
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SECTION 4. Section 43.04(b), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the [second
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degree, except that the offense is a felony of the] first degree [if
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the prostitution enterprise uses as a prostitute one or more
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persons younger than 18 years of age, regardless of whether the
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actor knows the age of the person at the time of the offense]. |
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SECTION 5. Section 43.05, Penal Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly: |
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(1) causes another by force, threat, coercion, or |
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fraud to commit prostitution; or |
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(2) causes by any means a child younger than 18 years |
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to commit prostitution, regardless of whether the actor knows the |
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age of the child at the time of the offense. |
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(b) An offense under this section [Subsection (a)(1) is a
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felony of the second degree.
An offense under Subsection (a)(2)] |
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is a felony of the first degree. |
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(d) For purposes of this section, "coercion" as defined by |
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Section 1.07 includes: |
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(1) destroying, concealing, confiscating, or |
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withholding from a person, or threatening to destroy, conceal, |
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confiscate, or withhold from a person, the person's actual or |
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purported: |
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(A) government records; or |
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(B) identifying information or documents; |
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(2) causing a person, without the person's consent, to |
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become intoxicated, as defined by Section 49.01, to a degree that |
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impairs the person's ability to appraise the nature of the person's |
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conduct that constitutes prostitution or to resist engaging in that |
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conduct; or |
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(3) withholding alcohol or a controlled substance to a |
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degree that impairs the ability of a person with a chemical |
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dependency, as defined by Section 462.001, Health and Safety Code, |
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to appraise the nature of the person's conduct that constitutes |
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prostitution or to resist engaging in that conduct. |
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SECTION 6. (a) The change in law made by this Act to Article |
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62.001(5), Code of Criminal Procedure, applies only to a person who |
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is required to register under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, on the basis of a conviction or adjudication for or based |
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on an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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A person who is required to register under Chapter 62, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure, solely on the basis of a conviction or |
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adjudication for or based on an offense committed before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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(b) The changes in law made by this Act to Sections 20A.02, |
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43.03, 43.04, and 43.05, Penal Code, apply only to an offense |
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committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense |
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committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(c) For purposes of this section, an offense was committed |
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before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense |
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occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |