By: Patterson, Thierry, Leach H.B. No. 844
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to crime victims' compensation for criminally injurious
  conduct in connection with trafficking of persons.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 56B, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Article 56B.0035 to read as
  follows:
         Art. 56B.0035.  CRIMINALLY INJURIOUS CONDUCT. (a) For
  purposes of this chapter, criminally injurious conduct includes the
  solicitation or patronization of forced labor or services,
  including sexual conduct, by any person if the solicitation or
  patronization occurs in connection with a scheme or course of
  conduct that constitutes the trafficking of persons.
         (b)  A victim of criminally injurious conduct described by
  Subsection (a) is a trafficking victim for the purposes of grant
  programs administered by the office of the governor. 
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring on or
  after the effective date of this Act. Compensation for criminally
  injurious conduct occurring before the effective date of this Act
  is governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
  purposes of this section, criminally injurious conduct occurred
  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
  underlying the conduct occurred before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.