HB 1509

Bill raising penalty for not reporting child sexual assault

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the offense of failure to stop or report aggravated sexual assault of a child; increasing a criminal penalty.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Class A misdemeanor becomes a third-degree felony. Parents and guardians covered too.

The bill raises the penalty for watching a sexual assault of a child and failing to help the child or report it to police, from a Class A misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. It also removes an old exclusion, so parents, guardians and others with a custodial relationship to the child are now covered by this offense like everyone else. Starting September 1, 2025, a bystander who could safely help or call police but does neither faces felony exposure, and the bill can be called Shannah's Law.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee on Apr 24, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1509 · 2024-12-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

ITEM

relating to the offense of failure to stop or report aggravated sexual assault of a child; increasing a criminal penalty.

WHAT IT DOES

Class A misdemeanor becomes a third-degree felony. Parents and guardians covered too.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 23, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Dec 4, 2024Filed
Mar 12, 2025Read first time
Mar 12, 2025Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
Mar 25, 2025Referred directly to subcommittee by chair
Apr 24, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 24, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 24, 2025Committee substitute considered in s/c
Apr 24, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 24, 2025Left pending in subcommittee

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Hillary Hickland

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135K Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310,226.49

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $260,226.49
Total: $310,226.49

mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135,152.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $125,152.00
Total: $135,152.00

canvassing $125,152.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $260,226.49
Total: $310,226.49

mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $125,152.00
Total: $135,152.00

canvassing $125,152.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 23, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Dec 4, 2024

04/24/2025 H Left pending in subcommittee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Crimes--Against Persons--Sexual

Minors--Crimes Against

SHANNAH'S LAW (PM6T2)

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Text

The text as introduced · 347 words

By: Hickland
H.B. No. 1509

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the offense of failure to stop or report aggravated

sexual assault of a child; increasing a criminal penalty.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as Shannah's Law.

SECTION 2. Section 38.17, Penal Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 38.17. FAILURE TO STOP OR REPORT AGGRAVATED SEXUAL

ASSAULT OF CHILD. (a) A person [ , other than a person who has a

relationship with a child described by Section 22.04(b), ] commits

an offense if:

(1) the actor observes the commission or attempted

commission of an offense prohibited by Section 21.02 or

22.021(a)(2)(B) under circumstances in which a reasonable person

would believe that an offense of a sexual or assaultive nature was

being committed or was about to be committed against the child;

(2) the actor fails to assist the child or immediately

report the commission of the offense to a peace officer or law

enforcement agency; and

(3) the actor could assist the child or immediately

report the commission of the offense without placing the actor in

danger of suffering serious bodily injury or death.

(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third

degree [ Class A misdemeanor ].

(c) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this

section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor

may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.

SECTION 3. 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

before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.