NFNL: Texas House Bills to Support

The following twelve bills are currently before the Texas legislature and promote the positions articulated in the NFNL Legislative Agenda. 

HB 29 - Thompson (author); Meyer, Parker, Canales, Burkett, Arévalo, Blanco, Bohac, Button, Minjarez, Neave, and Rodriguez (co-authors); Huberty, Collier, Cook, andFrullo

(joint authors); identical to SB 1569 (Huffman)

1. • Allows the Texas Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand in order to investigate civil racketeering related to human trafficking.

   • Requires for those convicted of Continuous Trafficking to register as a sex offender.

   • Requires education and training on the recognition and prevention of human trafficking for certain public tertiary schools.

   • When buyers are prosecuted for child abuse and child trafficking, they are not allowed to say that they thought the victim was older. Buyers are prosecuted as if they knew the victim was a child.

   • Buyers who solicit sex over the Internet can be prosecuted. They would no longer be required to solicit sex in a public place.

   • Broadens definition of “fee” (paid to a seller of commercial sex) to include money, goods, services, or other benefits.

     Status: Received by Senate on 4/20/17.

      

   • HB 269 - Thompson (author); Johnson and Meyer (joint authors); identical to SB 1165 (Garcia)

1. • Allows a court to set aside convictions and grant expunctions for prostitution

     offenses if the defendant shows that she engaged in prostitution as a victim trafficking.

                            Status: Received by Senate on 4/19/17.

      

     HB 1218 - Johnson (author)

1. • Increases the number of times a seller must be convicted of prostitution before facing a larger penalty.

   • Expands opportunities for deferred adjudication for sellers if they complete a court program specializing in commercial sexual exploitation or a prostitution prevention program. 

     Status: Committee report (Criminal Jurisprudence) sent to Calendars on 4/5/17.

      

     HB 1666 - Meyer (author); Thompson, Parker, and Burkett (joint authors)

1. • Increases penalty for Aggravated Promotion of Prostitution to a second degree felony from a third degree felony.

     Status: Considered in Calendars on 4/20/17.  

HB 1667 - Meyer (author); Thompson, Parker, and Burkett (joint authors)

1. • Increases penalty for a first offense of Promotion of Prostitution from a Class A

     misdemeanor to a state jail felony.

• Increases penalty for a repeat offender of Promotion of Prostitution from a state jail felony to a third degree felony.

 Status: Considered in Calendars on 4/20/17. 

HB 1808 - Meyer (author); Thompson and Parker (joint authors)

1. • When buyers are prosecuted for child abuse and child trafficking, they are not allowed to say that they thought the victim was older. Buyers are prosecuted as if they knew the victim was a child.

     Status: Reported favorably out of committee without amendment on 4/12/17.

      

     HB 2020 - Uresti (author)

1. • Makes it a crime to post an online advertisement for sexual services that will be provided by a trafficking victim.

     Status: Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on 3/13/17.

      

     HB 2509 - Parker (author); Meyer (joint author)

1. • Allows trafficking victims to request orders of nondisclosure for other offenses than prostitution, including theft and drug-related offenses.

      Status: Reported favorably as substituted on 4/17/17.  SMU student testified on behalf of NFNL.

      

     HB 2529 - Meyer (author); Thompson, Parker, and Burkett (joint authors)

1. • Allows a court to assume in certain circumstances that there was force, fraud, or coercion, if a person traffics an adult victim. Normally, the Government must prove that there was force, fraud, or coercion, so this bill makes it easier for the Government to prosecute.

     Status: Reported favorably as substituted on 4/17/17.

      

     HB 2629 - Thompson (author); Hernandez (co-author)

1. • Requires certain business license-holders to take measures to assist trafficking victims, including training efforts and the posting of a sign to direct victims to resources.

     Status: Reported favorably as substituted on 4/20/17.

      

     HB 2645 - Thompson (author); identical to SB 2039 (Zaffirini)

1. • Proposes the development of a sex trafficking prevention program that school districts may use as part of their health curriculum.

     Status: Referred to Public Education Committee on 3/21/17.

      

     HB 2960 - Parker (author); Meyer and Burkett (joint authors)

1. • When buyers are prosecuted for prostitution offenses involving a child victim,

     they are not allowed to say that they thought the victim was older. Buyers are prosecuted as if they knew the victim was a child.

• Buyers who pay with an item other than money can be prosecuted.

• Buyers who solicit sex over the internet can be prosecuted. They would no longer

be required to solicit sex in a public place.

• Increases penalties for buyers and promoters of prostitution.

• Expands definition of “promotion” of prostitution from soliciting and receiving

money, to simply aiding or facilitating prostitution.

                       Status: Left pending in committee on 4/17/17.  NFNL Executive Director testified.

NFNL: Texas Senate Bills to Support

The following thirteen bills are currently before the Texas legislature and promote the positions articulated in the NFNL Legislative Agenda.

SB 128 - Garcia (author); Campbell (co-author)

1. • Requires applicants for a commercial driver’s license to submit documents showing the applicant has completed a recognition and prevention of human trafficking training course.

     Status: Referred to House Transportation Committee on 4/13/17.

      

     SB 256 - Taylor, Van (authors); Hinojosa, Menéndez, Nelson (joint authors)

1. • Keeps the addresses of human trafficking victims confidential.

     Status: Referred to House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on 4/18/17.

SB 666 - Kolkhorst (author)

1. • Requires sexually oriented businesses (i.e. a strip club) to post signs that have the

     contact information for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

                            Status: Left pending in committee on 4/18/17.  NFNL former intern testified in support.

SB 811 - Kolkhorst (author)

1. • Requires people who are convicted of Promotion of Prostitution or Aggravated

     Promotion of Prostitution to register as sex offenders and prohibits them from being in a car with a minor who is not a relative.

                            Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 2/27/17.

      

     SB 1165 - Garcia (author); identical to HB 269 (Thompson - author; Johnson and

       Meyer - joint authors)

1. • Allows a court to set aside convictions and grant expunctions for prostitution offenses

     if the defendant can show that she engaged in prostitution as a victim of human trafficking.

                            Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 3/9/17.

SB 1226 - Huffman (author); Nelson (joint author); Uresti (co-author)

1. • Requires the government to gather information about the number and nature of

     arrests for prostitution to have a better statistical analysis.

                            Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 3/9/17.

      

     SB 1241 - Rodríguez (author)

1. • Requires police officers to report to the National Crime Information Center and the

     Texas Crime Information Center any time they have a warrant for someone suspected of human trafficking.

                            Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 3/13/17.

      

      

      

     SB 1433 - Uresti (author)

1. • Requires people who are convicted of Continuous Trafficking to register as sex

     offenders.

                            Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 3/20/17.

      

     SB 1504 - Taylor, Van (author)

1. • Offers orders of nondisclosure for victims of human trafficking who have been

     convicted of possession of marihuana, delivery of marihuana, theft, prostitution, or promotion of prostitution, and their conviction was set aside.

                            Status: Passed by the Senate on 4/20/17.

      

     SB 1569 - Huffman (author); Nelson (co-author) identical to HB 29 (Thompson)

1. • Allows the Texas Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand in order to

     investigate civil racketeering related to human trafficking.

• Requires for those convicted of Continuous Trafficking to register as a sex offender.

• Requires education and training on the recognition and prevention of human

trafficking for certain public tertiary schools.

• When buyers are prosecuted for child abuse and child trafficking, they are not

allowed to say that they thought the victim was older. Buyers are prosecuted as if they knew the victim was a child.

• Buyers who solicit sex over the internet can be prosecuted. They would no longer be

required to solicit sex in a public place.

• Broadens definition of “fee” (paid to a seller of commercial sex) to include money,

goods, services, or other benefits.

                       Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 3/21/17.

SB 1579 - Garcia (author)

1. • Allows the secretary of state to terminate a business if the owner or governing person

     of the business has been convicted of human trafficking or compelling prostitution.

                            Status: Referred to State Affairs Committee on 3/21/17.

      

     SB 1859 - Lucio (author)

1. • Creates a human trafficking unit within the Texas Department of Public Safety to

     combat human trafficking.

• Specifically, the unit will collaborate with state and federal law enforcement agencies

to investigate and arrest traffickers, train peace officers, and educate minors (under 18-years-old) of the dangers of human trafficking.

                       Status: Referred to Criminal Justice Committee on 3/23/17.

SB 2039 - Zaffirini (author); identical to HB 2645 (Thompson)

1. • Proposes the development of a sex trafficking prevention program that school

     districts may use as part of their health curriculum.

                            Status: Left pending in committee on 4/20/17.