HB239
HB239: Updates to Crime Laws, Victim Rights, and Safety Programs
In one sentence
This law updates rules for crimes like murder and assault by raising the age of protection from 16 to 18 in some cases, allows victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue for damages, creates an address confidentiality program, and adjusts parole and licensing requirements.
What it does
- Raises the age limit in certain laws so that people under 18 are protected as children instead of just those under 16.
- Allows victims who were sexually abused before turning 18 to sue for money damages against their abusers based on intentional conduct.
- Updates definitions and penalties for crimes including murder, assault, sexual abuse of a minor, theft, prostitution, and cruelty to animals.
- Creates an address confidentiality program to help people keep their home addresses secret from the public.
- Restricts how certain criminal conviction records are released to the public.
- Updates rules regarding teaching certificates, school bus driver licensing, parole, and medical release for electronic monitoring.
Who it affects
- People accused or convicted of crimes such as murder, assault, theft, sexual offenses, and drug-related deaths.
- Victims of crime, especially those who were sexually abused before turning 18.
- School bus drivers and people with teaching certificates whose licenses may be reviewed under new rules.
- The Board of Parole and agencies that manage criminal records.
Limits and unknowns
- The official text provided lists many topics but does not explain every specific change for each crime or program.
- Details regarding theft, prostitution, motor vehicle offenses, and other listed crimes are mentioned in the title but their specific changes are not included in this excerpt.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Address Confidentiality Program
- A system created by this law to keep a person's home address secret from the public for safety reasons.
- Civil Claim
- A lawsuit where a victim asks a court for money damages instead of criminal punishment, now available to victims sexually abused before age 18.
- Controlled Substances Advisory Committee
- A group mentioned in the law that relates to rules about illegal drugs and medicines.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
CRIME/CNTRL SUBST/ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY An Act relating to crime and criminal procedure; relating to civil claims by victims of sexual abuse of a minor; relating to homicide; relating to assault; relating to sexual assault; relating to stalking; relating to sexual abuse of a minor; relating to enticement and unlawful exploitation of a minor; relating to cruelty to animals; relating to endangering the welfare of a child; relating to indecent exposure; relating to theft; relating to generated obscene child sexual abuse material; relating to sending an explicit image of a minor; relating to solicitation or production of an indecent picture of a minor; relating to distribution of indecent material to minors; relating to prostitution; relating to the Controlled Substances Advisory Committee; relating to the testimony of children in criminal proceedings; relating to sentencing; relating to sexual assault examination kits; restricting the release of certain records of convictions; relating to teaching certificates; relating to the definition of 'victim counseling center' for disclosure of certain communications concerning sexual assault or domestic violence; relating to motor vehicle offenses; relating to the board of parole; relating to parole; relating to medical release for service of sentence by electronic monitoring; relating to licensing of school bus drivers; creating and relating to the address confidentiality program; and providing for an effective date.
Official activity
Bill history
- (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER3125
- (H) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/18 CH 9 SLA 263125
- (H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)3043
- (H) 10:44 A.M. 6/1/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR3043
- (H) COSPONSOR(S): HANNAN, GRAY, D.NELSON, DIBERT3011
- (H) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 222964
- (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE2964
- (H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y39 N12964
- (H) CONCUR MESSAGE TAKEN UP2963
- (H) CONCUR MESSAGE RECEIVED2962
- (S) Moved SCS CSHB 239(FIN) Out of CommitteeText
- (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532Text
- (S) VERSION: SCS CSHB 239(FIN)2806
- (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDED2806
- (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE2803
- (S) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y20 N-2802
- (S) RECON SAME DAY UC/VOTE-IN 3RD RDG2802
- (S) CLAMAN NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION2802
- (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE2787
- (S) PASSED Y20 N-2787