Relating to the prosecution of the offense of exploitation of a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual.

HB 1347 amends Texas Penal Code Section 32.53 to clarify and expand definitions related to exploiting vulnerable individuals. It defines "coercion" to include actions like destroying government records, threatening immigration proceedings, or financial control, and defines "deception" as false promises or misleading information. The bill specifies that exploiting a child, elderly person, or disabled individual through coercion, deception, isolation (preventing contact with support services), or other unfair means to take their resources for personal gain is now explicitly prohibited. This directly affects vulnerable populations and those who exploit them, updating existing law to cover modern tactics without creating new penalties. The changes apply only to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date.