Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1377 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R12944 SCL-F
2	2	By: Buckingham S.B. No. 1377
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to human trafficking signs at abortion facilities and
8	8	offenses associated with human trafficking and coerced abortion;
9	9	increasing criminal penalties.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Chapter 245, Health and Safety Code, is amended
12	12	by adding Section 245.025 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 245.025. HUMAN TRAFFICKING SIGNS REQUIRED. (a) An
14	14	abortion facility shall display a sign in accordance with this
15	15	section in each patient admission area, waiting room, restroom, and
16	16	patient consulting room. The sign must state:
17	17	WARNING: Obtaining forced labor or services is a crime under
18	18	Texas law. If you or someone you know is a victim of such a crime,
19	19	you are encouraged to call the national human trafficking hotline
20	20	at 1-888-373-7888. You may remain anonymous.
21	21	(b) A sign required under this section must be in English
22	22	and Spanish. If an abortion facility is located in a political
23	23	subdivision required to provide election materials in a language
24	24	other than English or Spanish under Section 272.011, Election Code,
25	25	the sign must also be in that language.
26	26	(c) A sign required under this section must be at least
27	27	8-1/2 by 11 inches in size and displayed in a conspicuous manner
28	28	clearly visible to the public and employees of an abortion
29	29	facility. The notice must cover at least four-fifths of the sign.
30	30	(d) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules as
31	31	necessary to implement and enforce this section.
32	32	SECTION 2. Section 20A.02(b), Penal Code, is amended to
33	33	read as follows:
34	34	(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an
35	35	offense under this section is a felony of the second degree. An
36	36	offense under this section is a felony of the first degree if:
37	37	(1) the applicable conduct constitutes an offense
38	38	under Subsection (a)(5), (6), (7), or (8), regardless of whether
39	39	the actor knows the age of the child at the time the actor commits
40	40	the offense; [or]
41	41	(2) the commission of the offense results in the death
42	42	of the person who is trafficked; or
43	43	(3) the commission of the offense results in the death
44	44	of an unborn child of the person who is trafficked in violation of
45	45	Chapter 19.
46	46	SECTION 3. Section 22.01, Penal Code, is amended by adding
47	47	Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
48	48	(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsections (b), (b-1), and (c), an
49	49	offense under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) is a felony of the second
50	50	degree if the actor intentionally or knowingly used force or the
51	51	threat of force to compel a woman to receive an abortion.
52	52	SECTION 4. (a) Not later than December 1, 2017, the
53	53	executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission
54	54	shall adopt the rules necessary to implement Section 245.025,
55	55	Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
56	56	(b) An abortion facility is not required to comply with
57	57	Section 245.025, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act,
58	58	before January 1, 2018.
59	59	SECTION 5. Sections 20A.02 and 22.01, Penal Code, as
60	60	amended by this Act, apply only to an offense committed on or after
61	61	the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the
62	62	effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
63	63	date the offense was committed, and that law is continued in effect
64	64	for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was
65	65	committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of
66	66	the offense was committed before that date.
67	67	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.