House Bill No. 1714 amends Section 22.011(b) of the Texas Penal Code, which outlines circumstances under which a sexual assault is considered to occur without the consent of the victim. The bill introduces several new provisions, including that a sexual assault occurs if the actor knows the victim is intoxicated to the point of being incapable of understanding the nature of the act, or if the actor knows that the victim has withdrawn consent and continues the act despite this withdrawal. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of coercion to include situations involving caregivers and other professionals who exploit their relationship with the victim.

The bill also removes the previous provision that allowed for the possibility of coercion by a caregiver, replacing it with a more comprehensive definition that includes various professionals who may exploit their authority or emotional dependency of the victim. The changes in law will only apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of September 1, 2025, ensuring that any offenses occurring prior to this date will be governed by the law in effect at that time.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Penal Code 22.011 (Penal Code 22)