85R8585 LHC-F
By: Meyer H.B. No. 2529
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a presumption that certain conduct constitutes force,
fraud, or coercion for purposes of the offense of trafficking of
persons.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 20A.02, Penal Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), it is a rebuttable
presumption that the person used force, fraud, or coercion if the
person knowingly:
(1) destroys, conceals, confiscates, or withholds
from the trafficked person, or threatens to destroy, conceal,
confiscate, or withhold from the trafficked person, the trafficked
person's actual or purported:
(A) government records; or
(B) identifying information or documents; or
(2) receives any form of support, whether financial or
otherwise, from the proceeds of an activity described by Subsection
(a)(3).
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.