86R923 KJE-D
By: Wu H.B. No. 1357
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the prosecution of and punishment for the criminal
offense of failure to report certain sexual offenses committed
against a child; increasing criminal penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 38.17, Penal Code, is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 38.17. FAILURE TO [STOP OR] REPORT CERTAIN
[AGGRAVATED] SEXUAL OFFENSES COMMITTED AGAINST A [ASSAULT OF]
CHILD. (a) In this section, "sexual offense against a child" means
conduct that constitutes an offense under:
(1) Section 21.02 (Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young
Child or Children);
(2) Section 21.11 (Indecency with a Child);
(3) Section 22.011(a)(2) (Sexual Assault of a Child);
or
(4) Section 22.021(a)(1)(B) (Aggravated Sexual
Assault of a Child).
(b) A person[, other than a person who has a relationship
with a child described by Section 22.04(b),] commits an offense if
the person:
(1) knows or has reason to believe that another person
has committed a sexual offense against a child [the actor observes
the commission or attempted commission of an offense prohibited by
Section 21.02 or 22.021(a)(2)(B) under circumstances in which a
reasonable person would believe that an offense of a sexual or
assaultive nature was being committed or was about to be committed
against the child]; and
(2) [the actor] fails to [assist the child or]
immediately report the commission of the offense to a [peace
officer or] law enforcement agency or to the Department of Family
and Protective Services[; and
[(3) the actor could assist the child or immediately
report the commission of the offense without placing the actor in
danger of suffering serious bodily injury or death].
(c) [(b)] An offense under this section is a state jail
felony, except that the offense is:
(1) except as provided by Subdivision (2), a felony of
the third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the
actor also engaged in conduct intended to hinder the investigation
or prosecution of the sexual offense against a child, including by:
(A) altering, destroying, or concealing any
record, document, or thing to impair its verity, legibility, or
availability as evidence in the investigation or prosecution;
(B) interfering with the willingness of a witness
to the offense to report the offense to, or cooperate in the
investigation or prosecution of the offense with, a law enforcement
agency or the Department of Family and Protective Services or
otherwise preventing the report by or cooperation of the witness;
(C) harboring or concealing the person who
committed the offense;
(D) providing or aiding in providing the person
who committed the offense with a means to avoid investigation or
arrest, including by assisting the person in relocating to another
area; or
(E) providing false or misleading information
regarding the offense to a law enforcement agency or to the
Department of Family and Protective Services; or
(2) a felony of the second degree if:
(A) the actor engaged in conduct described by
Subdivision (1);
(B) the person who committed the sexual offense
against a child commits a subsequent sexual offense against a
child; and
(C) the actor's failure to report the sexual
offense against a child enabled or facilitated the person's
commission of the subsequent offense [Class A misdemeanor].
(d) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that
the actor complied with a duty to report the sexual offense against
a child to a law enforcement agency or to the Department of Family
and Protective Services as required by other law.
(e) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this
section also constitutes an offense under another law, the actor
may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.
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, 2019.