| TO: | Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB8 by Thompson, Senfronia (Relating to the prosecution and punishment of offenses related to trafficking of persons and to certain protections for victims of trafficking of persons.), As Engrossed |
This bill would revise statutes relating to protective orders issued for victims of human trafficking and the offense of human trafficking. The bill would define "trafficking of persons" in the Code of Criminal Procedure as any offense that results in a person engaging in forced labor or services that may be prosecuted under certain sections of the Penal Code. The bill would designate the offense of soliciting a person under 18 to engage in prostitution or receiving proceeds from the prostitution of a person under 18, as a second degree felony rather than a Class A misdemeanor. The bill would amend the Penal Code as it relates to the offense of possession or promotion of child pornography. The bill would authorize trafficking victims to conceal their addresses through the Address Confidentiality Program and include victims of trafficking to the list of people eligible to receive rent and relocation benefits from the Crime Victims' Compensation Program, both at the Office of the Attorney General.
The Comptroller of Public Accounts reports state consolidated court costs are $83 for a Class A misdemeanor and $133 for a second degree felony. The Comptroller determined the revenue gain from the difference in court costs that would result from the provisions of the bill cannot be estimated. Based on analysis of the number of offenders convicted under this statute, the fiscal impact of this is not expected to be significant.
The Office of Court Administration and Office of the Attorney General indicate they could absorb the costs associated with the bill within current resources. Based on analysis of the number of offenders convicted under this statute, this analysis assumes implementing the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on the programs and workload of state corrections agencies or on the demand for resources and services of those agencies.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 405 Department of Public Safety, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 697 Board of Pardons and Paroles
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| LBB Staff: | UP, ESi, CL, JI, MMe, LM, JJO, KKR
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