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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to crime victims' compensation for criminally injurious |
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conduct in connection with trafficking of persons. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 56B, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, is amended by adding Article 56B.0035 to read as |
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follows: |
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Art. 56B.0035. CRIMINALLY INJURIOUS CONDUCT. (a) For |
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purposes of this chapter, criminally injurious conduct includes the |
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solicitation or patronization of forced labor or services, |
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including sexual conduct, by any person if the solicitation or |
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patronization occurs in connection with a scheme or course of |
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conduct that constitutes the trafficking of persons. |
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(b) A victim of criminally injurious conduct described by |
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Subsection (a) is a trafficking victim for the purposes of grant |
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programs administered by the office of the governor. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. Compensation for criminally |
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injurious conduct occurring before the effective date of this Act |
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is governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, criminally injurious conduct occurred |
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before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense |
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underlying the conduct occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |