|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to restrictions on the age of persons employed by or |
|
allowed on the premises of a sexually oriented business; creating a |
|
criminal offense. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 106, Alcoholic Beverage Code, is amended |
|
by adding Section 106.17 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 106.17. PRESENCE OF CERTAIN MINORS ON PERMITTED OR |
|
LICENSED PREMISES OPERATING AS SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESS. (a) An |
|
individual younger than 18 years of age may not be on premises |
|
covered by a permit or license issued under this code if a sexually |
|
oriented business, as defined by Section 243.002, Local Government |
|
Code, operates on the premises. |
|
(b) The holder of a permit or license covering a premises |
|
described by Subsection (a) may not knowingly or recklessly allow |
|
an individual younger than 18 years of age to be on the premises. |
|
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if it |
|
is found, after notice and hearing, that a permittee or licensee has |
|
violated Subsection (b) the commission or administrator shall: |
|
(1) suspend the permit or license for 30 days for the |
|
first violation; |
|
(2) suspend the permit or license for 60 days for the |
|
second violation; and |
|
(3) cancel the permit or license for the third |
|
violation. |
|
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Business & Commerce |
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 102.0031 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 102.0031. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN ACTIVITIES BY |
|
BUSINESS IN RELATION TO A CHILD. A sexually oriented business may |
|
not allow an individual younger than 18 years of age to enter the |
|
premises of the business. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 102.004(a), Business & Commerce Code, is |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) The attorney general or appropriate district or county |
|
attorney, in the name of the state, may bring an action for an |
|
injunction or other process against a person who violates or |
|
threatens to violate Section 102.002, [or] 102.003, or 102.0031. |
|
SECTION 4. Section 102.005(b), Business & Commerce Code, is |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(b) A sexually oriented business commits an offense if the |
|
business violates Section 102.003 or 102.0031. |
|
SECTION 5. Section 125.0015(a), Civil Practice and Remedies |
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) A person who maintains a place to which persons |
|
habitually go for the following purposes and who knowingly |
|
tolerates the activity and furthermore fails to make reasonable |
|
attempts to abate the activity maintains a common nuisance: |
|
(1) discharge of a firearm in a public place as |
|
prohibited by the Penal Code; |
|
(2) reckless discharge of a firearm as prohibited by |
|
the Penal Code; |
|
(3) engaging in organized criminal activity as a |
|
member of a combination as prohibited by the Penal Code; |
|
(4) delivery, possession, manufacture, or use of a |
|
substance or other item in violation of Chapter 481, Health and |
|
Safety Code; |
|
(5) gambling, gambling promotion, or communicating |
|
gambling information as prohibited by the Penal Code; |
|
(6) prostitution, promotion of prostitution, or |
|
aggravated promotion of prostitution as prohibited by the Penal |
|
Code; |
|
(7) compelling prostitution as prohibited by the Penal |
|
Code; |
|
(8) commercial manufacture, commercial distribution, |
|
or commercial exhibition of obscene material as prohibited by the |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(9) aggravated assault as described by Section 22.02, |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(10) sexual assault as described by Section 22.011, |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(11) aggravated sexual assault as described by Section |
|
22.021, Penal Code; |
|
(12) robbery as described by Section 29.02, Penal |
|
Code; |
|
(13) aggravated robbery as described by Section 29.03, |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(14) unlawfully carrying a weapon as described by |
|
Section 46.02, Penal Code; |
|
(15) murder as described by Section 19.02, Penal Code; |
|
(16) capital murder as described by Section 19.03, |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(17) continuous sexual abuse of young child or |
|
children as described by Section 21.02, Penal Code; |
|
(18) massage therapy or other massage services in |
|
violation of Chapter 455, Occupations Code; |
|
(19) employing or entering into a contract for the |
|
performance of work or the provision of a service with an individual |
|
younger than 21 years of age for work or services performed [a |
|
minor] at a sexually oriented business as defined by Section |
|
243.002, Local Government Code; |
|
(20) trafficking of persons as described by Section |
|
20A.02, Penal Code; |
|
(21) sexual conduct or performance by a child as |
|
described by Section 43.25, Penal Code; |
|
(22) employment harmful to a child as described by |
|
Section 43.251, Penal Code; |
|
(23) criminal trespass as described by Section 30.05, |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(24) disorderly conduct as described by Section 42.01, |
|
Penal Code; |
|
(25) arson as described by Section 28.02, Penal Code; |
|
(26) criminal mischief as described by Section 28.03, |
|
Penal Code, that causes a pecuniary loss of $500 or more; [or] |
|
(27) a graffiti offense in violation of Section 28.08, |
|
Penal Code; or |
|
(28) permitting an individual younger than 18 years of |
|
age to enter the premises of a sexually oriented business as defined |
|
by Section 243.002, Local Government Code. |
|
SECTION 6. Sections 51.016(b), (h), and (i), Labor Code, |
|
are amended to read as follows: |
|
(b) A sexually oriented business may not employ or enter |
|
into a contract, other than a contract described by Subsection (g), |
|
for the performance of work or the provision of a service with an |
|
individual younger than 21 [18] years of age. |
|
(h) The commission, the attorney general, or a local law |
|
enforcement agency may inspect a record maintained under this |
|
section if there is good reason to believe that an individual |
|
younger than 21 [18] years of age is employed or has been employed |
|
by, or has entered into a contract, other than a contract described |
|
by Subsection (g), for the performance of work or the provision of a |
|
service with, the sexually oriented business within the two years |
|
preceding the date of the inspection. |
|
(i) A person commits an offense if the person: |
|
(1) fails to maintain a record as required by this |
|
section; [or] |
|
(2) knowingly or intentionally hinders an inspection |
|
authorized under Subsection (h); or |
|
(3) violates Subsection (b). |
|
SECTION 7. Section 51.031(b), Labor Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(b) An offense under Section 51.014(d), [or Section] |
|
51.0145, or 51.016(i)(3) is a Class A misdemeanor. |
|
SECTION 8. Section 43.251(a)(1), Penal Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(1) "Child" means a person younger than 21 [18] years |
|
of age. |
|
SECTION 9. The changes in law made by this Act apply 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 was committed before that |
|
date. |
|
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
|
receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
|
house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
|
If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
|
effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |