89R14044 EAS-D     By: Schatzline H.B. No. 5547       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the prosecution and punishment for the offense of   trafficking of persons; increasing a criminal penalty.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 20A.02(a), Penal Code, is 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 or disabled individual with the   intent that the trafficked child or disabled individual engage in   forced labor or services, regardless of whether the person knows   the age of the child or whether the person knows the victim is   disabled;                (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, regardless of whether the person knows the age of the   child or whether the person knows the victim is disabled;                (7)  traffics a child or disabled individual,   regardless of whether the person knows the age of the child or   whether the person knows the victim is disabled, 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), regardless of whether the   person knows the age of the child or whether the person knows the   victim is disabled.          SECTION 2.  Section 20A.02(b), Penal Code, as amended by   Chapters 93 (S.B. 1527) and 452 (H.B. 3554), Acts of the 88th   Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and 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 or whether the actor knows the   victim is disabled at the time of the offense;                [(2)  the commission of the offense results in serious   bodily injury to or 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:                      [(A)  used or exhibited a deadly weapon during the   commission of the offense;                      [(B)  intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly   impeded the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the   trafficked person by applying pressure to the person's throat or   neck or by blocking the person's nose or mouth].          SECTION 3.  Section 20A.02(b-1), Penal Code, as amended by   Chapters 451 (H.B. 3553) and 452 (H.B. 3554), Acts of the 88th   Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and amended to   read as follows:          (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; [or]                      (B)  an institution of higher education or private   or independent institution of higher education, as defined by   Section 61.003, Education Code;                      (C) [(B)]  a juvenile detention facility;                      (D) [(C)]  a post-adjudication secure   correctional facility;                      (E) [(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;                      (F) [(E)]  a community center offering youth   services and programs; or                      (G) [(F)]  a child-care facility, as defined by   Section 42.002, Human Resources Code; or                (2)  on the premises where or within 1,000 feet of the   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 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(a)(5),(6),(7), or (8)    [20A.02, if punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section   20A.02(b)(1)] (Labor or 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.  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 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.