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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of |
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aggravated sexual assault committed by a member of the clergy. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 22.021(f), Penal Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(f) The minimum term of imprisonment for an offense under |
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this section is increased to 25 years if: |
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(1) the victim of the offense is younger than six years |
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of age at the time the offense is committed; [or] |
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(2) the victim of the offense is younger than 14 years |
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of age at the time the offense is committed and the actor commits |
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the offense in a manner described by Subsection (a)(2)(A); or |
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(3) the actor is a member of the clergy. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |