Texas House bill by Rep. Hull revises sexual assault laws and DNA evidence rules

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Lacey Hull aims to revise provisions related to sexual assault victims’ rights, DNA evidence handling, and penalties for sex offenses, including establishing new felony offenses and modifying sentencing guidelines, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 57 Democrats and 82 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Lacey Hull introduced the bill in the Texas House on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Hull graduated from the University of Houston with a BS.

Hull, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 138th House district, replacing previous state representative Dwayne Bohac.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the rights of victims of sexual assault and other sex offenses, the offense of continuous sexual abuse, and the prosecution, punishment, and collateral consequences of certain sex offenses; creating a criminal offense; increasing criminal penalties; changing the eligibility for community supervision, mandatory supervision, and parole for persons convicted of certain sex offenses’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends various sections of the Texas Penal Code and Government Code concerning the rights of sexual assault victims, DNA evidence usage, and the prosecution and punishment of certain sex offenses. It establishes conditions for limited consent in forensic DNA testing from evidence collection kits without needing to report to law enforcement. It creates a new offense of continuous sexual abuse, making it a felony if a person commits three or more acts of sexual abuse over 30 days. The bill modifies the penalties for such offenses, increasing categories and terms based on specific conditions, and includes enhancements for repeat offenders or offenses involving young victims. The minimum term for aggravated sexual assault involving victims under 14 is raised to 25 years. It mandates the Department of Public Safety adopt a new consent form by Dec. 1, 2025. The act is effective Sept. 1, 2025, with changes applying only to offenses committed on or after this date.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Penny Morales Shaw (Democrat – District 148), Rep. Maria Luisa Flores (Democrat – District 51), and Rep. Josey Garcia (Democrat – District 124).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Sunday, May 25, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.