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HB 2593

AN ACT relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of

House Bill
Filed

Filed

Bill introduced by legislator

Committee

Hearing

Passed Cmte

Calendar

Passed

Sent

Enrolled

Governor

Signed

89th Regular Session

Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended

Awaiting Committee Assignment

Bill filed, pending referral to House committee

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Committee

Not yet assigned

Fiscal Note

Not available

What This Bill Does

Increases criminal penalties for indecent assault against disabled or elderly individuals. If the offender is a healthcare or mental health services provider who commits the assault during treatment and beyond accepted practices, or if they have prior convictions, the offense escalates from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony or third-degree felony. If the victim is a disabled or elderly individual, the offense becomes a second-degree felony, providing stronger legal protections for vulnerable populations.

Subject Areas

Bill Text

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of
indecent assault against a disabled or elderly individual.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Sections 22.012(b) and (d), Penal Code, are
(b)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
(1)  a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of
(A)  the defendant has been previously convicted
of an offense under this section, other than an offense punishable
(B)  the defendant is a health care services
provider or a mental health services provider and the act is:
(i)  committed during the course of
providing a treatment or service to the victim; and
(ii)  beyond the scope of generally accepted
practices for the treatment or service; [or]
(2)  a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the
trial of the offense that the defendant has been previously
convicted of an offense under this section that is punishable under
(3)  a felony of the second degree if the victim is a
disabled individual or an elderly individual.
(1)  "Disabled individual" and "elderly individual"
have the meanings assigned by Section 22.04.
(2)  "Health ["health] care services provider" and
"mental health services provider" have the meanings assigned by
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
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Bill History

filed

Bill filed: AN ACT relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of