Relating to enhancing the criminal penalty for the offense of intoxication manslaughter in certain circumstances.

HB 1789 amends Texas Penal Code Section 49.09(b-2) to increase penalties for intoxication manslaughter. It makes the offense a first-degree felony if the driver caused the death of a person described in Subsection (b-1) (such as a child or first responder) or if multiple people died in the same incident. Currently, this crime is typically a state jail felony; the bill elevates it to a first-degree felony under these specific circumstances. The law will take effect September 1, 2025, and applies only to offenses committed on or after that date. This directly affects drivers convicted of causing death while intoxicated under these enhanced circumstances.