S.B. No. 957 introduces the criminal offense of "continuous aggravated promotion of prostitution" by adding Section 43.042 to the Penal Code. Under this new section, a person commits an offense if they engage in conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 43.04 two or more times over a period of 30 days or more. The bill specifies that if a jury is involved, they do not need to agree on the specific conduct or dates, as long as they unanimously agree that the defendant engaged in the required conduct during the specified timeframe. Additionally, if the same victim is involved in both the new offense and an offense under Section 43.04, the defendant cannot be convicted of both in the same criminal action unless certain conditions are met.

The bill also establishes that a defendant cannot be charged with more than one count of the new offense if all alleged conduct was against the same victim. The offense is classified as a first-degree felony, with potential penalties including life imprisonment or a term of 25 to 99 years. This legislation is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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