House Bill No. 3498 proposes to increase the criminal penalty for assaulting employees of retail establishments in Texas. The bill amends Section 22.01(b) of the Penal Code to classify such assaults as a felony of the third degree, similar to existing protections for various public servants and other specified individuals. Specifically, the bill adds a new provision that recognizes a person as an employee of a retail establishment if the actor knows the individual is located on the retail establishment's property, thereby extending legal protections to these employees.

In addition to the new insertion regarding retail employees, the bill also removes the previous provision that included pregnant individuals as a protected category under certain circumstances. 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 before this date will be governed by the law in effect at that time.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Penal Code 22.01 (Penal Code 22)