HB 2593
AN ACT relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of
89th Regular Session
Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended
Awaiting Committee Assignment
Bill filed, pending referral to House committee
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.
Expert Lobbyists for This Bill
These lobbyists specialize in Aging and related subject areas.
Adnelis M. Perez Vega
PremiumBrianna M. Menard
Haley Cornyn
Allen E. Blakemore
Vera Denise Rose
Gavin L. Massingill
Casey Haney
Luis Saenz
Drew Deberry
Jennifer Shelley Rodriguez
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of
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