BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2187

By: Davis

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are insufficient protections in place to prevent the abandonment or endangerment of elderly or disabled individuals. H.B. 2187 seeks to address this issue by adding elderly and disabled individuals to the class of persons protected by law from such abandonment and endangerment. Currently, only children are protected under that law.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2187 amends the Penal Code to expand the applicability of conduct constituting the offense of abandoning or endangering a child to include such conduct involving an elderly or disabled individual.     

H.B. 2187 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, Estates Code, Family Code, Health and Safety Code, and Occupations Code to make conforming changes.

H.B. 2187 applies only to an offense committed on or after the bill's effective date. The bill provides for the continuation of the law in effect before the bill's effective date for purposes of an offense, or any element thereof, that occurred before that date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.