By: Jetton, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Bettencourt) H.B. No. 279
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 17, 2023;
  April 18, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Criminal Justice; May 3, 2023, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 3, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the prosecution and punishment of the offense of
  trafficking of persons.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 20A.01, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Subdivision (1-b) to read as follows:
               (1-b) "Disabled individual" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 22.021(b). 
         SECTION 2.  Sections 20A.02(a) and (b), Penal Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:
               (1)  traffics another person with the intent that the
  trafficked person engage in forced labor or services;
               (2)  receives a benefit from participating in a venture
  that involves an activity described by Subdivision (1), including
  by receiving labor or services the person knows are forced labor or
  services;
               (3)  traffics another person and, through force, fraud,
  or coercion, causes the trafficked person to engage in conduct
  prohibited by:
                     (A)  Section 43.02 (Prostitution);
                     (B)  Section 43.03 (Promotion of Prostitution);
                     (B-1)  Section 43.031 (Online Promotion of
  Prostitution);
                     (C)  Section 43.04 (Aggravated Promotion of
  Prostitution);
                     (C-1)  Section 43.041 (Aggravated Online
  Promotion of Prostitution); or
                     (D)  Section 43.05 (Compelling Prostitution);
               (4)  receives a benefit from participating in a venture
  that involves an activity described by Subdivision (3) or engages
  in sexual conduct with a person trafficked in the manner described
  in Subdivision (3);
               (5)  traffics a child with the intent that the
  trafficked child engage in forced labor or services;
               (6)  receives a benefit from participating in a venture
  that involves an activity described by Subdivision (5), including
  by receiving labor or services the person knows are forced labor or
  services;
               (7)  traffics a child or disabled individual and by any
  means causes the trafficked child or disabled individual to engage
  in, or become the victim of, conduct prohibited by:
                     (A)  Section 21.02 (Continuous Sexual Abuse of
  Young Child or Disabled Individual);
                     (B)  Section 21.11 (Indecency with a Child);
                     (C)  Section 22.011 (Sexual Assault);
                     (D)  Section 22.021 (Aggravated Sexual Assault);
                     (E)  Section 43.02 (Prostitution);
                     (E-1)  Section 43.021 (Solicitation of
  Prostitution);
                     (F)  Section 43.03 (Promotion of Prostitution);
                     (F-1)  Section 43.031 (Online Promotion of
  Prostitution);
                     (G)  Section 43.04 (Aggravated Promotion of
  Prostitution);
                     (G-1)  Section 43.041 (Aggravated Online
  Promotion of Prostitution);
                     (H)  Section 43.05 (Compelling Prostitution);
                     (I)  Section 43.25 (Sexual Performance by a
  Child);
                     (J)  Section 43.251 (Employment Harmful to
  Children); or
                     (K)  Section 43.26 (Possession or Promotion of
  Child Pornography); or
               (8)  receives a benefit from participating in a venture
  that involves an activity described by Subdivision (7) or engages
  in sexual conduct with a child or disabled individual trafficked in
  the manner described in Subdivision (7).
         (b)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection and
  Subsection (b-1), an offense under this section is a felony of the
  second degree.  An offense under this section is a felony of the
  first degree if:
               (1)  the applicable conduct constitutes an offense
  under Subsection (a)(5), (6), (7), or (8), regardless of whether
  the actor knows the age of the child or whether the actor knows the
  victim is disabled at the time of the offense;
               (2)  the commission of the offense results in the death
  of the person who is trafficked;
               (3)  the commission of the offense results in the death
  of an unborn child of the person who is trafficked; or
               (4)  the actor recruited, enticed, or obtained the
  victim of the offense from a shelter or facility operating as a
  residential treatment center that serves runaway youth, foster
  children, the homeless, or persons subjected to human trafficking,
  domestic violence, or sexual assault.
         SECTION 3.  Section 16.0045(a), Civil Practice and Remedies
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person must bring suit for personal injury not later
  than 30 years after the day the cause of action accrues if the
  injury arises as a result of conduct that violates:
               (1)  Section 22.011(a)(2), Penal Code (sexual assault
  of a child);
               (2)  Section 22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code (aggravated
  sexual assault of a child);
               (3)  Section 21.02, Penal Code (continuous sexual abuse
  of young child or disabled individual);
               (4)  Section 20A.02(a)(7)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (H) or
  Section 20A.02(a)(8), Penal Code, involving an activity described
  by Section 20A.02(a)(7)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (H) or sexual conduct
  with a child or disabled individual trafficked in the manner
  described by Section 20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code (certain sexual
  trafficking [of a child]);
               (5)  Section 43.05(a)(2), Penal Code (compelling
  prostitution by a child); or
               (6)  Section 21.11, Penal Code (indecency with a
  child).
         SECTION 4.  Section 2(a), Article 38.37, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Subsection (b) applies only to the trial of a defendant
  for:
               (1)  an offense under any of the following provisions
  of the Penal Code:
                     (A)  Section 20A.02, if punishable as a felony of
  the first degree under Section 20A.02(b)(1) (Sex Trafficking of a
  Child or Disabled Individual);
                     (B)  Section 21.02 (Continuous Sexual Abuse of
  Young Child or Disabled Individual);
                     (C)  Section 21.11 (Indecency With a Child);
                     (D)  Section 22.011(a)(2) (Sexual Assault of a
  Child);
                     (E)  Sections 22.021(a)(1)(B) and (2) (Aggravated
  Sexual Assault of a Child);
                     (F)  Section 33.021 (Online Solicitation of a
  Minor);
                     (G)  Section 43.25 (Sexual Performance by a
  Child); or
                     (H)  Section 43.26 (Possession or Promotion of
  Child Pornography), Penal Code; or
               (2)  an attempt or conspiracy to commit an offense
  described by Subdivision (1).
         SECTION 5.  Section 772.0062(a)(1), Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Child sex trafficking" means conduct
  constituting an offense [prohibited] under Section 20A.02(a)(7) or
  (8), Penal Code, that is committed against a child.
         SECTION 6.  The change in law made by this Act applies 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 occurred
  before that date.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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