BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2020

By: Uresti, Tomas

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties have expressed concern regarding the use of certain technologies to solicit prostitution, which provides offenders new avenues of advertisement that are often difficult to monitor or trace. H.B. 2020 seeks to address this issue by creating the offense of advertisement of prostitution.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2020 amends the Penal Code to create the state jail felony offense of advertisement of prostitution for a person who publishes or distributes on a website that is owned or operated by the person an advertisement that contains an offer to engage in sexual conduct in return for receipt of a fee, knowing that the conduct is to be provided or performed by a victim of a trafficking of persons offense. The bill enhances the penalty for a subsequent conviction of advertisement of prostitution to a third degree felony.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.