Relating to changing the eligibility for release on parole of certain inmates serving sentences for trafficking offenses involving child victims and disabled individuals.
LowStandard timeline
Low Cost
Effective:2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies
Texas Department of Criminal Justice • Board of Pardons and Paroles
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Contingent on supermajority certification; applies immediately to offenses committed on/after this date).
Compliance Deadline:June 20, 2025. Businesses must have updated risk protocols in place by this date, as the legal stakes for incidents occurring on your premises increase immediately.
Agency Rulemaking: None. The Board of Pardons and Paroles will update internal guidelines, but no external business rules will be issued. The statute is self-executing within the judicial system.
Immediate Action Plan
Issue a Legal Advisory: General Counsel must notify HR and Security Directors that trafficking risks now carry "capital-level" criminal implications, necessitating stricter enforcement of existing policies.
Update Training Materials: Insert the "Life Without Parole" penalty into employee conduct manuals and anti-trafficking training immediately.
Audit Labor Vendors: Request recertification from staffing agencies confirming their vetting processes for labor trafficking, specifically regarding minors.
Review Insurance: Consult with your broker to ensure your current coverage addresses "criminal acts" exclusions, ensuring you have defense costs covered if the business is named in a related civil suit.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Vendor Agreements (Staffing & Security): Review Master Services Agreements (MSAs) with labor brokers and security firms.
Termination Clauses: Amend "Termination for Cause" provisions to trigger immediately if a vendor or their employee is *charged* with a Penal Code Chapter 20A offense. Given the "no parole" severity, you cannot afford to wait for a conviction to sever ties.
Indemnification: Ensure indemnification clauses cover costs associated with criminal investigations, not just civil liability.
Hiring/Training
Mandatory Training Updates: Update human trafficking awareness modules (specifically for hospitality and healthcare). You must explicitly inform staff that the penalty for facilitating these crimes is now life without parole. This severity is a critical deterrent that must be communicated to employees.
Healthcare Vetting: Facilities housing disabled adults must enhance background checks and visitor monitoring, as the statute specifically elevates the protection of "disabled individuals" to the highest criminal tier.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Internal Incident Logs: No new government filings are required. However, you must maintain rigorous internal records of vendor due diligence. In the event of a trafficking investigation on your premises, your documented vetting process is your primary defense against reputational contagion.
Fees & Costs
No Direct Fees: The bill imposes no new regulatory fees on businesses.
Insurance Impact: Expect heightened scrutiny from carriers regarding General Liability and D&O policies for businesses in high-risk sectors (hotels, trucking) during renewal periods.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
Definition of "Disabled Individual": The statute applies to trafficking of "disabled individuals," yet the burden of proof regarding the victim's disability status during the crime can be complex. Healthcare and assisted living operators should proceed with the assumption that *any* vulnerable adult in their care falls under this protected class, requiring maximum security protocols.
Transitional Offenses: For crimes that span the effective date (e.g., a trafficking scheme running from May to July 2025), the law states that if *any element* occurred prior to June 20, the old parole rules apply. Do not rely on this technicality for risk management; treat all current operations as subject to the new severity.
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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
Current law imposes parole limitations on individuals convicted of human trafficking offenses, especially those involving children and disabled individuals. However, the bill author has informed the committee that some offenders can still become eligible for parole under certain circumstances, creating concerns that those who have exploited society's most vulnerable could eventually be released before serving their full sentences. The bill author has further informed the committee that this poses a risk to public safety and undermines justice for victims. H.B. 2306 seeks to address this issue by explicitly removing parole eligibility for offenders convicted of trafficking crimes involving children and disabled individuals.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2306 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Government Code to make an inmate ineligible for release on parole if the inmate is serving a sentence for any of the following offenses:
·trafficking a child or disabled individual with the intent that the trafficked child or disabled individual engage in forced labor or services;
·receiving a benefit from participating in a venture that involves such trafficking activity, including by receiving labor or services the person knows are forced labor or services;
·trafficking a child or disabled individual and by any means causing the trafficked child or disabled individual to engage in or become the victim of certain sexual offenses; or
·receiving a benefit from participating in a venture that involves such trafficking activity causing the child or individual to engage in or become the victim of certain sexual offenses or engaging in sexual conduct with such a trafficked child or disabled individual.
H.B. 2306 applies only to an offense committed on or after the bill's effective date. An offense committed before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For these purposes, an offense was committed before the bill's effective date if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
H.B. 2306 repeals the following provisions:
·Article 42.01991, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
Honorable Sam Harless, Chair, House Committee on Corrections
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2306 by Villalobos (Relating to changing the eligibility for release on parole of certain inmates serving sentences for trafficking offenses involving child victims and disabled individuals.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would add certain offenses of trafficking of persons to the list of offenses not eligible for release on parole.
It is assumed that any impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources would not be significant.
Local Government Impact
It is assumed that any fiscal impact to units of local government associated with enforcement, prosecution, supervision, or confinement would not be significant.
Source Agencies:
696 Department of Criminal Justice, 697 Board of Pardons and Paroles
LBB Staff:
JMc, MGol, DGI
Related Legislation
Explore more bills from this author and on related topics
HB2306 classifies human trafficking offenses involving children or disabled individuals as ineligible for parole, effectively mandating life sentences for convictions. While this is a criminal sentencing statute, it signals a "zero-tolerance" enforcement environment that necessitates immediate risk-management updates for businesses in hospitality, healthcare, transportation, and sectors utilizing labor staffing agencies. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Contingent on supermajority certification; applies immediately to offenses committed on/after this date).
Q
Who authored HB2306?
HB2306 was authored by Texas Representative Denise Villalobos during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB2306 signed into law?
HB2306 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB2306?
HB2306 is enforced by Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB2306?
The compliance urgency for HB2306 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB2306?
The cost impact of HB2306 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB2306 address?
HB2306 addresses topics including corrections, corrections--parole, probation & pardons, crimes, crimes--against persons and crimes--against persons--sexual.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
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