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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for human trafficking and the issuance |
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of reports on how existing laws and programs meet the needs of |
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trafficking victims. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 20A.02, Penal Code, is |
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amended to 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 offense is committed under Subsection (a)(2) |
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and the person who is trafficked is younger than 18 [14] years of |
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age at the time of the offense; or |
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(2) the commission of the offense results in the death |
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of the person who is trafficked. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Not later than September 1, 2008, the |
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attorney general, in consultation with the Health and Human |
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Services Commission, shall issue a report: |
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(1) outlining how existing laws and regulations |
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concerning victims and witnesses address the needs of victims of |
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human trafficking; and |
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(2) recommending areas of improvement and |
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modifications. |
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(b) Not later than September 1, 2008, the Health and Human |
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Services Commission, in consultation with the attorney general, |
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shall issue a report: |
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(1) outlining how existing social service programs |
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address or fail to address the needs of victims of human |
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trafficking; |
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(2) outlining the interplay of existing social service |
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programs with federally funded victim service programs; and |
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(3) recommending areas of improvement and |
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modifications. |
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SECTION 3. (a) The change in law made by this Act to |
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Subsection (b), Section 20A.02, Penal Code, applies only to an |
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offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs |
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before that date. |
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(b) An offense committed before the effective date of this |
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Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |