BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2593

By: Metcalf

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current statute, indecent assault against an elderly or disabled individual is punishable by a misdemeanor offense, the same as indecent assault against a member of the general population. The bill author has informed the committee that this punishment structure may not reflect the higher level of risk of harm or exploitation that elderly or disabled individuals face. H.B. 2593 addresses this issue by enhancing the punishment for indecent assault against an elderly or disabled individual.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes 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. 2593 amends the Penal Code to enhance the penalty for indecent assault from a Class A misdemeanor to a second degree felony if the victim is a disabled individual or an elderly individual. For this purpose, "disabled individual" and "elderly individual" have the meanings assigned to those terms under the offense of injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual.

H.B. 2593 applies only to an offense committed on or after the bill's effective date. An offense committed before the bill's effective date 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 these purposes, an offense was committed before the bill's effective date if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.