Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2529 by Meyer (Relating to the definition of coercion for purposes of the offense of trafficking of persons.), As Engrossed
The bill would amend the Penal Code to define coercion as it relates to the offense of trafficking of persons. Under existing statute, trafficking of persons is punishable as a second degree felony.
A second degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term from 2 to 20 years. In addition to confinement, most felony offenses are subject to an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.
Expanding the behavior to which a criminal offense is applied is expected to result in an increase in the demands on the correctional resources of the counties or of the State due to a potential increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement within state correctional institutions. In fiscal year 2016, fewer than 10 individuals were arrested, fewer than 10 were placed under felony community supervision, and fewer than 10 were admitted into state correctional institutions for trafficking of persons under existing statute. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on the demand of state correctional resources.