HB2593 - Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of indecent assault against a disabled or elderly individual.

      H.B. No. 2593         AN ACT   relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of   indecent assault against a disabled or elderly individual.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Sections 22.012(b) and (d), Penal Code, are   amended to read as follows:          (b)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,   except that the offense is:                (1)  a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of   the offense that:                      (A)  the defendant has been previously convicted   of an offense under this section, other than an offense punishable   under Paragraph (B); or                      (B)  the defendant is a health care services   provider or a mental health services provider and the act is:                            (i)  committed during the course of   providing a treatment or service to the victim; and                            (ii)  beyond the scope of generally accepted   practices for the treatment or service; [ or ]                (2)  a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the   trial of the offense that the defendant has been previously   convicted of an offense under this section that is punishable under   Subdivision (1)(B) ; or                 (3)     a felony of the second degree if the victim is a   disabled individual or an elderly individual .          (d)  In this section :                 (1)     "Disabled individual" and "elderly individual"   have the meanings assigned by Section 22.04.                 (2)  "Health [ , "health ] care services provider" and   "mental health services provider" have the meanings assigned by   Section 22.011.          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.       ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                   I certify that H.B. No. 2593 was passed by the House on May   16, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 124, Nays 0, 2 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House                 I certify that H.B. No. 2593 was passed by the Senate on May   26, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 1.     ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate       APPROVED:  _____________________                      Date                           _____________________                    Governor