Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain offenses committed by an illegal alien.

SB 1099 increases criminal penalties for certain felony offenses committed by individuals classified as "illegal aliens" under Texas law. It requires judges to make an affirmative finding if a defendant was an illegal alien (defined as someone who entered without inspection or violated nonimmigrant status) at the time of the offense, triggering higher penalties. For non-capital felonies, this raises the punishment to the next higher category; for first-degree felonies, it mandates a minimum 15-year prison term. The law applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, and was recently reported favorably by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on May 15, 2025.