Texas 2019 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB934 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/18/2019

                    86R5911 LHC-D
 By: Shaheen H.B. No. 934


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the prosecution of the offense of trafficking of
 persons.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 20A.02(a), Penal Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (a)  A person commits an offense if the person [knowingly]:
 (1)  knowingly traffics another person with the intent
 that the trafficked person engage in forced labor or services;
 (2)  knowingly receives a benefit from participating in
 a venture that involves an activity described by Subdivision (1),
 including by receiving labor or services the person knows are
 forced labor or services;
 (3)  knowingly traffics another person and, through
 force, fraud, or coercion, causes the trafficked person to engage
 in conduct prohibited by:
 (A)  Section 43.02 (Prostitution);
 (B)  Section 43.03 (Promotion of Prostitution);
 (C)  Section 43.04 (Aggravated Promotion of
 Prostitution); or
 (D)  Section 43.05 (Compelling Prostitution);
 (4)  engages in sexual conduct with a person trafficked
 in the manner described by Subdivision (3), regardless of whether
 the actor knows that the person has been trafficked in the manner
 described by that subdivision, or knowingly receives a benefit from
 participating in a venture that involves an activity described by
 Subdivision (3) [or engages in sexual conduct with a person
 trafficked in the manner described in Subdivision (3)];
 (5)  knowingly traffics a child with the intent that
 the trafficked child engage in forced labor or services;
 (6)  knowingly receives a benefit from participating
 in a venture that involves an activity described by Subdivision
 (5), including by receiving labor or services the person knows are
 forced labor or services;
 (7)  knowingly traffics a child and by any means causes
 the trafficked child to engage in, or become the victim of, conduct
 prohibited by:
 (A)  Section 21.02 (Continuous Sexual Abuse of
 Young Child or Children);
 (B)  Section 21.11 (Indecency with a Child);
 (C)  Section 22.011 (Sexual Assault);
 (D)  Section 22.021 (Aggravated Sexual Assault);
 (E)  Section 43.02 (Prostitution);
 (F)  Section 43.03 (Promotion of Prostitution);
 (G)  Section 43.04 (Aggravated Promotion of
 Prostitution);
 (H)  Section 43.05 (Compelling Prostitution);
 (I)  Section 43.25 (Sexual Performance by a
 Child);
 (J)  Section 43.251 (Employment Harmful to
 Children); or
 (K)  Section 43.26 (Possession or Promotion of
 Child Pornography); or
 (8)  engages in sexual conduct with a child trafficked
 in the manner described by Subdivision (7), regardless of whether
 the actor knows that the child has been trafficked in the manner
 described by that subdivision, or knowingly receives a benefit
 from participating in a venture that involves an activity described
 by Subdivision (7) [or engages in sexual conduct with a child
 trafficked in the manner described in Subdivision (7)].
 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.