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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for the offense of trafficking of |
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persons. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 20A.02(b), Penal Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an |
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offense under this section is a felony of the second degree. An |
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offense under this section is a felony of the first degree if: |
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(1) the applicable conduct constitutes an offense |
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under Subsection (a)(5), (6), (7), or (8), regardless of whether |
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the actor knows the age of the child at the time of the offense; |
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(2) the commission of the offense results in the death |
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of the person who is trafficked; [or] |
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(3) the commission of the offense results in the death |
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of an unborn child of the person who is trafficked; or |
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(4) the actor flees from a person the actor knows is a |
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peace officer or federal special investigator attempting lawfully |
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to arrest or detain the actor for conduct constituting an offense |
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under this section. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |