By: Meyer, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 2529

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2017; May 8, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; May 19, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 19, 2017, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of coercion for purposes of the offense of trafficking of persons.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 20A.02, Penal Code, is amended by adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:

(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), "coercion" as defined by Section 1.07 includes:

(1) destroying, concealing, confiscating, or withholding from the trafficked person, or threatening to destroy, conceal, confiscate, or withhold from the trafficked person, the trafficked person's actual or purported:

(A) government records; or

(B) identifying information or documents;

(2) receiving any form of support, whether financial or otherwise, from the proceeds of an activity described by Subsection (a)(3); or

(3) controlling the proceeds of an activity described by Subsection (a)(3).

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

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