H.B. No. 1343
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of improper
  contact with a victim and to protective orders for victims of
  certain offenses; enhancing a criminal penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 7A.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), if an
  application has not yet been filed in the case under Subsection (a),
  the attorney representing the state shall promptly file an
  application for a protective order with respect to each victim of an
  offense listed in Subdivision (1) or (2) of that subsection
  following the offender's conviction of or placement on deferred
  adjudication community supervision for the offense.
         (a-2)  The attorney representing the state may not file an
  application under Subsection (a-1) with respect to a victim who is
  at least 18 years of age if the victim requests that the attorney
  representing the state not file the application.
         SECTION 2.  Article 7A.03, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  An offender's conviction of or placement on deferred
  adjudication community supervision for an offense listed in Article
  7A.01(a)(1) or (2) constitutes reasonable grounds under Subsection
  (a).
         SECTION 3.  Article 7A.07, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  The court shall issue a protective order effective for
  the duration of the lives of the offender and victim if the offender
  is:
               (1)  convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication
  community supervision for an offense listed in Article 7A.01(a)(1)
  or (2); and
               (2)  required under Chapter 62 to register for life as a
  sex offender.
         SECTION 4.  Section 25.07(g), Penal Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (g)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
  except the offense is:
               (1)  subject to Subdivision (2), a state jail felony if
  it is shown at the trial of the offense that the defendant violated
  an order issued as a result of an application filed under Article
  7A.01(a-1), Code of Criminal Procedure; or
               (2)  a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the
  trial of the offense that the defendant:
                     (A) [(1)]  has previously been convicted two or
  more times of an offense under this section or two or more times of
  an offense under Section 25.072, or has previously been convicted
  of an offense under this section and an offense under Section
  25.072; or
                     (B) [(2)]  has violated the order or condition of
  bond by committing an assault or the offense of stalking.
         SECTION 5.  Section 38.111(a), Penal Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if the person, while
  confined in a correctional facility after being charged with or
  convicted of an offense listed in Article 62.001(5), Code of
  Criminal Procedure, contacts by letter, telephone, or any other
  means, either directly or through a third party, a victim of the
  offense or a member of the victim's family, if [:
               [(1)     the victim was younger than 17 years of age at the
  time of the commission of the offense for which the person is
  confined; and
               [(2)]  the director of the correctional facility has
  not, before the person makes contact with the victim:
               (1) [(A)]  received written and dated consent to the
  contact from:
                     (A)  the victim, if the victim was 17 years of age
  or older at the time  of the commission of the offense for which the
  person is confined; or
                     (B)  if the victim was younger than 17 years of age
  at the time of the commission of the offense for which the person is
  confined:
                           (i)  a parent of the victim;
                           (ii)  a legal guardian of the victim;
                           (iii)  the victim, if the victim is 17 years
  of age or older at the time of giving the consent; or
                           (iv)  a member of the victim's family who is
  17 years of age or older; and
               (2) [(B)]  provided the person with a copy of the
  consent.
         SECTION 6.  The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter
  7A, Code of Criminal Procedure, apply only to a judgment of
  conviction entered on or after the effective date of this Act or a
  grant of deferred adjudication community supervision made on or
  after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 7.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
  38.111(a), Penal Code, 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 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1343 was passed by the House on April
  25, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 133, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 1343 on May 23, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 1,
  1 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1343 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 17, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor