Bill > SB955

This bill modifies Texas law regarding human trafficking offenses by expanding and clarifying circumstances that elevate the offense from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. Specifically, the bill adds two new provisions that would result in a first-degree felony charge: recruiting or obtaining a trafficking victim from a shelter or residential treatment center serving vulnerable populations (such as runaway youth, foster children, or homeless persons), and recruiting or obtaining a trafficking victim from a correctional facility while the victim is confined. The bill also expands the list of locations that would trigger enhanced penalties to include correctional facilities, making it a first-degree felony punishable by 25 to 99 years in prison if the trafficking occurs on or within 1,000 feet of such locations. Additionally, the bill specifies that these legal changes will only apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of September 1, 2025, with prior offenses continuing to be governed by the law in effect at the time they were committed.

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https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB955