Texas - Session 892
Title: Relating to an affirmative defense to prosecution for certain victims of trafficking of persons or compelling prostitution.
According to an August 2025 Texas Tribune article, many victims of human trafficking have a criminal record because of crimes they were pressured into committing by their traffickers, and such a record can make it harder for these victims to leave their traffickers and move on with their lives. The Houston Chronicle reported in July 2025 that, while Texas law allows defendants fighting felony charges to assert a "duress"" defense, this defense is ineffective for most trafficking victims since they currently must prove that they faced a threat of imminent death or serious bodily injury. S.B. 11 seeks to align the law with these lived experiences of trafficking victims by establishing an affirmative defense to prosecution for criminal offenses if the survivor can demonstrate that their conduct was the direct result of force, fraud, or"
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| Date | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-15 | Introduced | Bill introduced |
| 2025-09-17 | Status | introduced |
| 2025-09-17 | Latest Action | Effective on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 4, 2025 |
| Bill | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SB 12 | Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state. | introduced |
| HB 16 | Relating to the operation and administration of and practices and procedures related to proceedings in the judicial branch of state government, including court security, court documents and arrest warrants, document delivery, juvenile boards, constitutional amendment election challenges, record retention, youth diversion, court-ordered mental health services, the powers of the Texas Supreme Court, jurors, and the special prosecution unit; increasing a criminal penalty; authorizing fees. | introduced |
| HB 20 | Relating to measures to prevent and reduce fraudulent charitable solicitations and theft during declared disasters, including establishing a designation program for disaster relief nonprofit organizations and financial institutions; creating a criminal offense; increasing a criminal penalty. | introduced |
| SB 16 | Relating to real property theft and real property fraud; establishing recording requirements for certain documents concerning real property; creating the criminal offenses of real property theft and real property fraud and establishing a statute of limitations, restitution, and certain procedures with respect to those offenses. | introduced |
| HB 313 | Relating to the temperature at which a facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is maintained. | introduced |
| HB 314 | Relating to requiring notice regarding the potential eligibility to vote of certain persons convicted of a felony. | introduced |
| HB 320 | Relating to prohibiting the transfer of semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients; increasing a criminal penalty. | introduced |
| HB 308 | Relating to creating the criminal offense of trespass on or near school or day-care center property. | introduced |