LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT
 
85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 18, 2017

TO:
Honorable John T. Smithee, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2552 by Thompson, Senfronia (Relating to prostitution and trafficking of persons and to certain criminal and civil consequences of that conduct.), As Introduced

The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend the Penal Code as it relates to the offense of promotion of prostitution. Under the provisions of the bill, a person commits an offense if under certain circumstances the actor knowingly provides a person or premises for prostitution purposes. The punishment for promotion of prostitution ranges from a Class A misdemeanor to a second degree felony based on the specific circumstances of the offense.

A second degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term from 2 to 20 years and a state jail felony is punishable by confinement in a state jail for a term from 180 days to 2 years or Class A misdemeanor punishment. In addition to confinement, most felony offenses are also subject to an optional fine not to exceed $10,000. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in a county jail for a term not to exceed one year, an optional fine not to exceed $4,000, or both.

Expanding the list of behaviors for which a criminal penalty is applied is expected to result in an increase in the demand for 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 the offense of promotion of prostitution under existing statute.


Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
UP, LM, KJo