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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of criminal offenses involving the |
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trafficking of persons. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 13.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Art. 13.12. TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, |
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KIDNAPPING, AND SMUGGLING OF PERSONS. (a) Venue for trafficking |
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of persons, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and smuggling of |
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persons is in: |
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(1) the county in which the offense was committed; or |
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(2) any county through, into, or out of which the |
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person trafficked, falsely imprisoned, kidnapped, or transported |
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may have been taken. |
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(b) If a defendant commits an offense under Chapter 20A, |
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Penal Code, that is part of a criminal episode, as defined by |
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Section 3.01, Penal Code, all of the offenses arising out of the |
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same criminal episode may be prosecuted in any county in which any |
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offense in the criminal episode was committed. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 20A, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 20A.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 20A.015. PROSECUTION BY ATTORNEY GENERAL AUTHORIZED. |
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(a) The attorney general may prosecute an offense under this |
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chapter and any other offense arising out of the same criminal |
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episode, as defined by Section 3.01. |
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(b) The attorney general may appear before a grand jury in |
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connection with an offense the attorney general is authorized to |
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prosecute under this section. |
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(c) The authority to prosecute prescribed by this section |
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does not affect the authority derived from other law to prosecute |
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the same offenses. |
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SECTION 3. Article 13.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, as |
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amended by this Act, and Section 20A.015, Penal Code, as added by |
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this Act, apply only to the prosecution of an offense committed on |
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or after the effective date of this Act. The prosecution of an |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |