By: Garcia S.B. No. 2238
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the offense of sexual coercion.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 21, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Section 21.18 to read as follows:
         Sec. 21.18.  SEXUAL COERCION. (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Intimate visual material" means the visual
  material described by Section 21.16(b)(1) or (c), as added by
  Chapter 852 (S.B. 1135), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2015.
               (2)  "Sexual conduct" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 43.25.
         (b)  A person commits an offense if:
               (1)  with the intent to coerce another person either to
  engage in sexual conduct or to produce, provide, or distribute
  intimate visual material, the actor communicates a threat:
                     (A)  against the other person's person, property,
  or reputation; or 
                     (B)  to distribute or cause distribution of
  intimate visual material of the other person; or
               (2)  the actor knowingly causes another person to
  engage in sexual conduct or to produce, provide, or distribute
  intimate visual material, by means of a threat:
                     (A)  against the other person's person, property,
  or reputation; or
                     (B)  to distribute or cause distribution of
  intimate visual material of the other person.
         (c)  This section applies to a threat regardless of how that
  threat is communicated, including a threat transmitted through
  e-mail or an Internet website, social media account, or chat room
  and a threat made by other electronic or technological means.
         (d)  An offense under this section is a state jail felony,
  except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if:
               (1)  it is shown on the trial of the offense that the
  defendant has previously been convicted of an offense under this
  section; or
               (2)  the victim was younger than 18 years of age at the
  time of the offense.
         (e)  If conduct that constitutes an offense under this
  section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor
  may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.