Lowe’s bill raising the penalty for continuous child sexual abuse

The text as introduced · 303 words

89R16349 MEW-D

By: Lowe
H.B. No. 4672

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for continuous sexual

abuse of a child who is younger than 14 years of age.

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

SECTION 1. Section 21.02, Penal Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (h) and adding Subsection (i) to read as

follows:

(h) Except as provided by Subsection (i), an [ An ] offense

under this section is a felony of the first degree, punishable by

imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life,

or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 25 years.

(i) An offense under this section is a felony of the first

degree punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of

Criminal Justice for life without parole if at least one act of

sexual abuse was committed against a victim who is younger than 14

years of age as described by Subsection (b)(2)(A). If the jury is

the trier of fact, members of the jury must agree unanimously that

the defendant committed an act of sexual abuse against a victim who

is younger than 14 years of age as described by Subsection

(b)(2)(A).

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

before that date.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.