H.B. No. 1391 aims to strengthen the prosecution and punishment of trafficking and sexual offenses in Texas by increasing penalties and modifying parole eligibility. The bill reclassifies certain offenses, elevating them from a second-degree felony to a capital felony under specific circumstances, such as when the victim is a child or when serious bodily injury or death occurs. It also introduces new classifications for offenses involving individuals aged 14 to 18, imposing harsher penalties for those involving individuals younger than 14. Additionally, the bill revises parole eligibility criteria, requiring inmates convicted of capital felonies or serious offenses to serve a minimum of 30 years or half of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Furthermore, the bill establishes that defendants convicted of sexually violent offenses after their 18th birthday will face life imprisonment without parole if they have prior convictions for similar offenses. It removes references to certain offenses under Section 20A.03 and clarifies that the life sentence applies to non-capital felonies. The bill also repeals several outdated provisions from the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Government Code. These changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will only apply to offenses committed on or after that date, leaving prior offenses governed by existing laws.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Penal Code 21.02, Penal Code 43.03, Penal Code 43.031, Penal Code 43.041, Penal Code 43.05, Penal Code 43.23, Penal Code 43.25, Education Code 37.086, Government Code 508.145, Government Code 51.03, Penal Code 71.02 (Penal Code 43, Penal Code 21, Government Code 51, Penal Code 71, Education Code 37, Government Code 508)