By: Thierry, Shaheen, Moody, Jetton, Cook, H.B. No. 3554
      et al.
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of
  trafficking of persons if committed at certain locations.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 20A.02(b) and (b-1), Penal Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (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 at the time of the offense;
               (2)  the commission of the offense results in the death
  of the person who is trafficked; or
               (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].
         (b-1)  An offense under this section is a felony of the first
  degree punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of
  Criminal Justice for life or for a term of not more than 99 years or
  less than 25 years if it is shown on the trial of the offense that
  the actor committed the offense in a location that was:
               (1)  on the premises of or within 1,000 feet of the
  premises of:
                     (A)  a school;
                     (B)  a juvenile detention facility;
                     (C)  a post-adjudication secure correctional
  facility;
                     (D)  a shelter or facility operating as a
  residential treatment center that serves runaway youth, foster
  children, people who are homeless, or persons subjected to human
  trafficking, domestic violence, or sexual assault;
                     (E)  a community center offering youth services
  and programs; or
                     (F)  a child-care facility, as defined by Section
  42.002, Human Resources Code; or
               (2)  on premises or within 1,000 feet of premises
  where:
                     (A)  an official school function was taking place;
  or
                     (B)  an event sponsored or sanctioned by the
  University Interscholastic League was taking place.
         SECTION 2.  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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.