Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 1527	Senate Author:  Huffman et al.
Effective:  9-1-23	House Sponsor:  Thompson, Senfronia et al.

            Senate Bill 1527 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, Government Code, Penal Code, and Transportation Code to revise provisions relating to the entities responsible for preventing and combatting human trafficking in Texas and to the prosecution and punishment of trafficking related offenses. Among other provisions, the bill revises the composition of the Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council and the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, revises the task force's duties, includes disabled individuals in the scope of certain child trafficking and prostitution offenses, and increases penalties for certain trafficking and prostitution offenses. The bill also creates the offense of child grooming and establishes penalty enhancements for possession of child pornography under certain circumstances.

Senate Bill 1527 expands the applicability of provisions relating to the admissibility of hearsay statements of certain abuse victims and of evidence of other crimes committed against a child victim. The bill revises the information required to be reported by certain law enforcement entities to the attorney general concerning human trafficking investigations and provides for the confidentiality of that information. Finally, the bill requires an indication that a person is subject to sex offender registration because of a trafficking conviction to be included in driver's license and personal identification certificate records.