85R6425 LHC-D By: Meyer, Thompson of Harris, Parker H.B. No. 1667 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to increasing the punishment for the offense of promotion of prostitution. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 43.03(b), Penal Code, is amended to read as follows: (b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony [Class A misdemeanor], except that the offense is: (1) a felony of the third degree [state jail felony] if the actor has been previously convicted of an offense under this section; or (2) a felony of the second degree if the actor engages in conduct described by Subsection (a)(1) or (2) involving a person younger than 18 years of age engaging in prostitution, regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the person at the time of [the actor commits] the offense. 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, 2017.