By: Flores S.B. No. 1101
(In the Senate - Filed February 4, 2025; February 24, 2025,
read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
March 31, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7,
Nays 0; March 31, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the prosecution of the offense of smuggling of persons.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 20.01, Penal Code, is amended by adding
Subdivision (9) to read as follows:
(9) "Cultural resource site or area," "natural area,"
"open space area," and "park" have the meanings assigned by Section
24.001, Parks and Wildlife Code.
SECTION 2. Section 20.05(a), Penal Code, is amended to read
as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly:
(1) uses a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or
other means of conveyance to transport an individual with the
intent to:
(A) conceal the individual from a peace officer
or special investigator; or
(B) flee from a person the actor knows is a peace
officer or special investigator attempting to lawfully arrest or
detain the actor;
(2) encourages or induces a person to enter or remain
in this country in violation of federal law by concealing,
harboring, or shielding that person from detection; or
(3) assists, guides, or directs two or more
individuals to enter or remain on a cultural resource site or area,
natural area, open space area, park, or agricultural land without
the effective consent of the owner.
SECTION 3. 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 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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