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House Bill 1540 |
House Author: Thompson, Senfronia et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-21 |
Senate Sponsor: Huffman et al. |
House Bill 1540 makes various changes to state law based on recommendations from the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force.
House Bill 1540 amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to include an offense involving drink solicitation as mandatory grounds for the denial of certain alcoholic beverage permits and licenses in certain circumstances.
House Bill 1540 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code and Government Code to provide for the confidentiality of a claimant's identity in a civil action against a defendant who allegedly engages in trafficking of persons or benefits from such activity and to provide for victims of human trafficking to use a pseudonym when giving testimony before legislative committees. The bill gives a law enforcement agency discretion to provide notice of alleged activity for certain common nuisances relating to prostitution and illicit massage services to a person operating an affected property if the agency has reason to believe the common nuisances have occurred on the property. The bill revises the conduct constituting civil racketeering related to trafficking of persons and the circumstances under which an enterprise may be held liable for such an offense.
House Bill 1540 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code, Health and Safety Code, and Human Resources Code to designate a general residential operation operating as a residential treatment center as a child safety zone and as a drug-free zone under the Texas Controlled Substances Act. The bill requires each such general residential operation to post "No Trespassing" notices on the grounds and creates a Class C misdemeanor offense for failure to post the notice. The bill also requires each public or private primary or secondary school to post warnings signs of increased trafficking penalties.
House Bill 1540 amends the Family Code, Occupations Code, Penal Code, and Property Code to apply the definition of "coercion" to instances of conduct that constitute labor trafficking for both adults and children. The bill enhances the penalty for human trafficking if the actor recruited, enticed, or obtained the victim from a shelter or facility operating as a residential treatment center that serves at-risk groups. The bill expands certain conduct constituting criminal trespass to include committing the offense on the property of or within a general residential operation. The bill increases the penalty and penalty enhancements for solicitation of prostitution.