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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to increasing the punishment for certain sexual offenses |
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committed against a child with a disability. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.11, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) An offense under this section is increased to the next |
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higher category of offense if it is shown on the trial of the |
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offense that the offense was committed against a disabled |
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individual, as defined by Section 22.04. |
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SECTION 2. Section 22.011(f), Penal Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(f) An offense under this section is a felony of the second |
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degree, except that an offense under this section is a felony of the |
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first degree if: |
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(1) the victim was a person whom the actor was |
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prohibited from marrying or purporting to marry or with whom the |
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actor was prohibited from living under the appearance of being |
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married under Section 25.01; or |
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(2) the offense is committed under Subsection (a)(2) |
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against a disabled individual, as defined by Section 22.04. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |