HB 3073
AN ACT relating to the prosecution of the offense of sexual assault.
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
Expands the legal definition of sexual assault by adding more circumstances where consent is not given, such as when a person is intoxicated, unconscious, or unable to resist. It specifically adds protections against sexual assault by people in positions of power, including public servants, healthcare providers, clergy, facility employees, coaches, tutors, and caregivers. The bill clarifies and broadens the conditions under which sexual assault can be prosecuted, aiming to provide comprehensive legal protection for victims across various scenarios.
Subject Areas
Bill Text
relating to the prosecution of the offense of sexual assault. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 22.011(b), Penal Code, is amended to (b) A sexual assault under Subsection (a)(1) is without the consent of the other person if: (1) the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by the use of physical force, violence, or coercion; (2) the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against the other person or to cause harm to the other person, and the other person believes that the actor has the present ability to execute (3) [the other person has not consented and] the actor knows the other person is unconscious, [or] physically unable to resist, incapable of appraising the nature of the act or of resisting it, or unaware that the sexual assault is occurring; (4) the actor knows or reasonably should know that the other person cannot consent because of intoxication or impairment by any substance [the actor knows that as a result of mental disease or defect the other person is at the time of the sexual assault incapable either of appraising the nature of the act or of resisting (5) the actor knows the other person has withdrawn consent to the act and the actor persists in the act [the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unaware that the sexual assault is occurring]; (6) [the actor has intentionally impaired the other person's power to appraise or control the other person's conduct by administering any substance without the other person's knowledge; [(7)] the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against any person, and the other person believes that the actor has the ability (7) [(8)] the actor is a public servant who coerces the other person to submit or participate; (8) [(9)] the actor is a mental health services provider or a health care services provider who causes the other person, who is a patient or former patient of the actor, to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's emotional (9) [(10)] the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman's professional character as spiritual adviser; (10) [(11)] the actor is an employee of a facility where the other person is a resident, unless the employee and resident are formally or informally married to each other under (11) [(12)] the actor is a health care services provider who, in the course of performing an assisted reproduction procedure on the other person, uses human reproductive material from a donor knowing that the other person has not expressly consented to the use of material from that donor; (12) [(13)] the actor is a coach or tutor who causes the other person to submit or participate by using the actor's power or influence to exploit the other person's dependency on the actor; (13) [(14)] the actor is a caregiver hired to assist the other person with activities of daily life and causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's SECTION 2. Section 22.011(c), Penal Code, is amended by adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as follows: (1-a) "Consent" has the meaning assigned by Section SECTION 3. Section 154.051(d-1), Occupations Code, is (d-1) The board may not consider or act on a complaint involving an alleged violation of Section 22.011(b)(11) [22.011(b)(12)], Penal Code, that occurred more than seven years before the date on which the complaint is received by the board or more than 2 years from the date the complainant knew or should have known of the facts giving rise to the complaint, whichever is later. SECTION 4. 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 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to the prosecution of the offense of sexual assault.
Related Guides
Learn more about tracking Texas legislation and working with lobbyists.
How to Read & Track Texas Bills
Master bill numbering, understand legislative language, and learn effective tracking strategies.
Understanding Texas Legislative Deadlines
Navigate the 140-day session with critical calendar dates and filing deadlines.
How Laws Get Made in Texas
Follow a bill's journey from filing to the governor's desk through committees and floor votes.
When Should Your Business Hire a Lobbyist?
Discover the signs that your business needs professional advocacy at the Texas Capitol.