Relating to the prosecution of the offenses of trafficking of persons, continuous trafficking of persons, and compelling prostitution.
HB 2761 amends Texas Penal Code sections to clarify that in trafficking cases involving children or disabled individuals, defendants cannot claim the victim "lacked mental capacity" or "did not complete prostitution" as a defense. It specifically targets prosecutions under Sections 20A.02(a)(7)-(8) (trafficking for prostitution) and 43.01 (prostitution), directly affecting prosecutors and defendants in these cases. The law removes two common defense arguments, ensuring traffickers cannot avoid accountability based on the victim’s mental state or whether prostitution was completed. This change applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025). The bill does not create new crimes but strengthens prosecution pathways for vulnerable victims.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Mar 19, 2025
Signed Jun 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
1 edit
·
Jun 20, 2025
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from a legislative draft to an enrolled version, with minor text cleanup and the addition of certification signatures. No substantive policy changes were made to the bill's content.
TECHNICAL
Removed draft formatting markers and added official certification signatures for the Senate and House passage.
Floor votes · House May 12, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
49
Key actions
17
Committee
11
Amendments
2
Jun 20, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
May 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate passage reported
lower
May 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
May 13, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Justice
upper
May 13, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 12, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
lower
May 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
lower
Apr 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Apr 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
4 primary · 4 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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