85R13491 KJE-D
By: Creighton S.B. No. 2221
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to increasing the punishment for certain sexual offenses
committed against a child with a disability.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 21.11, Penal Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(e) An offense under this section is increased to the next
higher category of offense if it is shown on the trial of the
offense that the offense was committed against a disabled
individual, as defined by Section 22.04.
SECTION 2. Section 22.011(f), Penal Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(f) An offense under this section is a felony of the second
degree, except that an offense under this section is a felony of the
first degree if:
(1) the victim was a person whom the actor was
prohibited from marrying or purporting to marry or with whom the
actor was prohibited from living under the appearance of being
married under Section 25.01; or
(2) the offense is committed under Subsection (a)(2)
against a disabled individual, as defined by Section 22.04.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply 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 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.