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House Bill 3000 |
House Author: Thompson et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-11 |
Senate Sponsor: Van de Putte et al. |
House Bill 3000 amends provisions of the Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Government Code relating to the creation of the first degree felony offense of continuous trafficking of persons. The bill makes it an offense punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life or for any term of not more than 99 years and less than 25 years to engage two or more times in conduct that constitutes an offense of trafficking of persons during a period that is 30 or more days in duration. A subsequent conviction of the offense is automatically punishable by life without parole. The bill enhances the penalty for a state jail felony to that of a third degree felony if the individual has previously been finally convicted of an offense of continuous trafficking of persons.
House Bill 3000 adds continuous trafficking of persons to the list of offenses for which there is no statute of limitations, bond can only be granted by a judge, certain notice of a bail reduction is required, trial preference is required, and a DNA sample is required, and to the list of offenses considered to be violent offenses for purposes of release on personal bond of certain mentally ill defendants. The bill makes a person convicted of continuous trafficking of persons ineligible for intensive supervision parole, early parole, mandatory supervision, and placement in a halfway house. Release for a person convicted of continuous trafficking of persons requires an extraordinary vote by the board of pardons and parole.