By: Thierry, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Whitmire) H.B. No. 3554          (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2023;   May 10, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal   Justice; May 17, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:     Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 17, 2023, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     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.     * * * * *