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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for the offense of online solicitation |
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of a minor. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 33.021, Penal Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (f-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(f) An offense under Subsection (b) is a felony of the third |
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degree, except that the offense is a felony of the second degree if |
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the minor is younger than 14 years of age or is an individual whom |
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the actor believes to be younger than 14 years of age at the time of |
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the commission of the offense. |
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(f-1) An offense under Subsection (c) is a felony of the |
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second degree, except that the minimum term of imprisonment for the |
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offense is increased to five years if the actor, after soliciting |
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the minor on the actor's own behalf, travels with the intent to meet |
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the minor. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |