Relating to an affirmative defense to prosecution for certain victims of trafficking of persons or compelling prostitution.
SB 11 creates a legal defense for individuals prosecuted for crimes they committed while being trafficked or subjected to compelling prostitution. It applies specifically to people who engaged in criminal conduct (like selling drugs or theft) because they were forced, defrauded, or coerced by traffickers - meeting four strict conditions, such as proving the coercion was unavoidable and the crime wouldn't have occurred without it. The defense does not apply to certain serious offenses listed in law or to cases where the victim had other options. This change only affects prosecutions for crimes committed on or after the bill’s effective date (September 17, 2025), not past cases. It aims to prevent trafficked victims from facing punishment for acts they were compelled to commit.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Aug 2025
Committee Review
Aug 2025
Senate Passage
Aug 2025
House Passage
Aug 2025
Signed into Law
Sep 2025
Introduced Aug 15, 2025
Signed Sep 17, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
2 edits
·
Sep 17, 2025
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from a draft version to the final enrolled version, removing draft markers and adding official certification signatures. The substantive legal content, including the new affirmative defense for trafficking victims, remains identical to the previous version.
Scope change
No change in the bill's scope or applicability; the changes are purely formatting and procedural.
TECHNICAL
Removed draft annotations (e.g., 'AAParker, et al.', line numbers, and 'AA' markers) and replaced them with the official enrolled title and clean text.
Added certification blocks at the bottom confirming the bill passed the Senate and House on specific dates and was approved by the Governor.
Floor votes · House Aug 26, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
50
Key actions
14
Committee
10
Sep 17, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
Aug 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
Aug 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
House passage reported
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
Aug 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Corrected committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Aug 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Aug 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Aug 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
lower
Aug 20, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
lower
Aug 20, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
Aug 20, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
Aug 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Aug 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Aug 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
Aug 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Aug 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Aug 15, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
upper
Aug 15, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
24 primary · 26 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Adam Hinojosa
RRepublican
P
Angela Paxton
RRepublican
P
Bob Hall
RRepublican
P
Brandon Creighton
RRepublican
P
Brent Hagenbuch
RRepublican
P
Bryan Hughes
RRepublican
P
Carol Alvarado
DDemocratic
P
Charles Perry
RRepublican
P
Charles Schwertner
RRepublican
P
Chuy Hinojosa
DDemocratic
P
CB
César Blanco
DDemocratic
P
Donna Campbell
RRepublican
P
Joan Huffman
RRepublican
P
JM
José Menéndez
DDemocratic
P
Judith Zaffirini
DDemocratic
P
Kevin Sparks
RRepublican
P
Lois Kolkhorst
RRepublican
P
Mayes Middleton
RRepublican
P
Molly Cook
DDemocratic
P
Paul Bettencourt
RRepublican
P
Pete Flores
RRepublican
P
Phil King
RRepublican
P
Royce West
DDemocratic
P
Tan Parker
RRepublican
Co
A.J. Louderback
RRepublican
Co
Alan Schoolcraft
RRepublican
Co
Andy Hopper
RRepublican
Co
Ben Bumgarner
RRepublican
Co
Briscoe Cain
RRepublican
Co
Caroline Harris Davila
RRepublican
Co
Daniel Alders
RRepublican
Co
Denise Villalobos
RRepublican
Co
Don McLaughlin
RRepublican
Co
Helen Kerwin
RRepublican
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