Governor Greg Abbott held a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion to sign House Bill 2306 and Senate Bill 1212 into law. These measures introduce stricter penalties for human traffickers, especially those targeting children and people with disabilities.
“I thank all the survivors of human trafficking for stepping up and telling their stories, sharing their insight, and talking about what needs to be done to help their lives,” said Governor Abbott. “We want to ensure that we do all we can so that human traffickers never walk the streets of Texas again. These two bills help achieve that goal. Senate Bill 1212 increases the penalty for all human trafficking offenses to a first degree felony. The worst of the worst are human traffickers of children and people with disabilities. House Bill 2306 ensures that those traffickers will serve every single day of their prison sentence behind bars, no parole for the worst of the worst.”
First Lady Cecilia Abbott joined the Governor at the event, along with several state legislators and anti-human trafficking advocates.
House Bill 2306 removes parole eligibility for individuals convicted of trafficking children or disabled persons, requiring them to serve full sentences without early release.
Senate Bill 1212 raises penalties for all forms of human trafficking by making any offense related to trafficking a first-degree felony.
