Title PE, Penal Code

Sec. 19.02. MURDER. (a) In this section: (1) "Adequate cause" means cause that would commonly produce a degree of anger, rage, resentment, or terror in a person of ordinary temper, sufficient to render the mind incapable of cool reflection. (2) "Sudden passion" means passion dire…

Sec. 19.03. CAPITAL MURDER. (a) A person commits an offense if the person commits murder as defined under Section 19.02(b)(1) and: (1) the person murders a peace officer or fireman who is acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty and who the person knows is a peace offic…

Sec. 19.04. MANSLAUGHTER. (a) A person commits an offense if he recklessly causes the death of an individual. (b) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense tha…

Sec. 19.05. CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE. (a) A person commits an offense if he causes the death of an individual by criminal negligence. (b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony. Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Renumbered from P…

Sec. 19.06. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN CONDUCT. This chapter does not apply to the death of an unborn child if the conduct charged is: (1) conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child; (2) a lawful medical procedure performed by a physician or other licensed health care prov…

Sec. 20.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Restrain" means to restrict a person's movements without consent, so as to interfere substantially with the person's liberty, by moving the person from one place to another or by confining the person. Restraint is "without consent" i…

Sec. 20.02. UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly restrains another person. (b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that: (1) the person restrained was a child younger than 14 years of age; (2) the actor wa…

Sec. 20.03. KIDNAPPING. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly abducts another person. (b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that: (1) the abduction was not coupled with intent to use or to threaten to use deadly force; (2) t…

Sec. 20.04. AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly abducts another person with the intent to: (1) hold him for ransom or reward; (2) use him as a shield or hostage; (3) facilitate the commission of a felony or the flight after the …

Sec. 20.05. SMUGGLING OF PERSONS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly: (1) uses a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or other means of conveyance to transport an individual with the intent to: (A) conceal the individual from a peace officer or special invest…

Sec. 20.06. CONTINUOUS SMUGGLING OF PERSONS. (a) A person commits an offense if, during a period that is 10 or more days in duration, the person engages two or more times in conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20.05. (b) If a jury is the trier of fact, members of th…

Sec. 20.07. OPERATION OF STASH HOUSE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly: (1) uses or permits another to use any real estate, building, room, tent, vehicle, boat, or other property owned by the person or under the person's control to commit an offense or to f…

Sec. 20A.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Child" means a person younger than 18 years of age. (1-a) "Coercion" as defined by Section 1.07 includes: (A) destroying, concealing, confiscating, or withholding from a trafficked person, or threatening to destroy, conceal, confisc…

Sec. 20A.02. TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly: (1) traffics another person with the intent that the trafficked person engage in forced labor or services; (2) receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves an activit…

Sec. 20A.03. CONTINUOUS TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS. (a) A person commits an offense if, during a period that is 30 or more days in duration, the person engages two or more times in conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02 against one or more victims. (b) If a jury is …

Sec. 20A.04. ACCOMPLICE WITNESS; TESTIMONY AND IMMUNITY. (a) A party to an offense under this chapter may be required to provide evidence or testify about the offense. (b) A party to an offense under this chapter may not be prosecuted for any offense about which the party is requ…

Sec. 20A.05. PROSECUTION BY ATTORNEY GENERAL. The attorney general has jurisdiction to prosecute and shall represent the state in the prosecution of an offense under this chapter as provided by Section 402.103, Government Code. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 364 (H.B. 4…

Sec. 21.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Deviate sexual intercourse" means: (A) any contact between any part of the genitals of one person and the mouth or anus of another person; or (B) the penetration of the genitals or the anus of another person with an object. (2) "Sexu…

Sec. 21.02. CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG CHILD OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL. (a) In this section: (1) "Child" has the meaning assigned by Section 22.011(c). (2) "Disabled individual" has the meaning assigned by Section 22.021(b). (b) A person commits an offense if: (1) during a per…

Sec. 21.03. CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE. (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) during a period that is 30 or more days in duration, the person commits two or more acts of sexual abuse against two or more victims; and (2) at the time of the commission of each of the acts of sexual a…

Sec. 21.06. HOMOSEXUAL CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Amend…

Sec. 21.07. PUBLIC LEWDNESS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly engages in any of the following acts in a public place or, if not in a public place, the person is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by the person's: (1) a…

Sec. 21.08. INDECENT EXPOSURE. (a) A person commits an offense if he exposes his anus or any part of his genitals with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, and he is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by his act. (b) …

Sec. 21.09. BESTIALITY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly: (1) engages in an act involving contact between: (A) the person's mouth, anus, or genitals and the anus or genitals of an animal; or (B) the person's anus or genitals and the mouth of the animal; (2)…

Sec. 21.11. INDECENCY WITH A CHILD. (a) A person commits an offense if, with a child younger than 17 years of age, whether the child is of the same or opposite sex and regardless of whether the person knows the age of the child at the time of the offense, the person: (1) engages …

Sec. 21.12. IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATOR AND STUDENT. (a) An employee of a public or private primary or secondary school commits an offense if the employee: (1) engages in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse with a person who is enrolled in…

Sec. 21.15. INVASIVE VISUAL RECORDING. (a) In this section: (1) "Female breast" means any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola. (2) "Intimate area" means the naked or clothed genitals, pubic area, anus, buttocks, or female breast of a person. (3) "Changing roo…

Sec. 21.16. UNLAWFUL DISCLOSURE OR PROMOTION OF INTIMATE VISUAL MATERIAL. (a) In this section: (1) "Intimate parts" means the naked genitals, pubic area, anus, buttocks, or female nipple of a person. (2) "Promote" means to procure, manufacture, issue, sell, give, provide, lend, m…

Sec. 21.165. UNLAWFUL PRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MEDIA. (a) In this section: (1) "Deep fake media" means a visual depiction created or altered through the use of software, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or any other computer-generated or t…

Sec. 21.17. VOYEURISM. (a) A person commits an offense if the person, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor, observes, including remotely through the use of electronic means, another person without the other person's consent while the other person is…

Sec. 21.18. SEXUAL COERCION. (a) In this section: (1) "Intimate visual material" means the visual material described by Section 21.16(b)(1) or (c). (2) "Sexual conduct" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.25. (b) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally threaten…

Sec. 21.19. UNLAWFUL ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT VISUAL MATERIAL. (a) In this section, "intimate parts," "sexual conduct," and "visual material" have the meanings assigned by Section 21.16. (b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly transmits by elec…

Sec. 22.01. ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse; (2) intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury, including the person's spo…

Sec. 22.011. SEXUAL ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) the person intentionally or knowingly: (A) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person's consent; (B) causes the penetration of the mouth of another per…

Sec. 22.012. INDECENT ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if, without the other person's consent and with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, the person: (1) touches the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of another person; (2) touches ano…

Sec. 22.02. AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person commits assault as defined in Sec. 22.01 and the person: (1) causes serious bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse; or (2) uses or exhibits a deadly weapon during the commission of the …

Sec. 22.021. AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense: (1) if the person: (A) intentionally or knowingly: (i) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person's consent; (ii) causes the penetration of the mou…

Sec. 22.04. INJURY TO A CHILD, ELDERLY INDIVIDUAL, OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, by act or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly by omission, causes to a child, elderly individual…

Sec. 22.041. ABANDONING OR ENDANGERING A CHILD, ELDERLY INDIVIDUAL, OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL. (a) In this section: (1) "Abandon" means to leave in any place without providing reasonable and necessary care a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual under circumstances under…

Sec. 22.05. DEADLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. (b) A person commits an offense if he knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the direction of: (1) one or more individ…

Sec. 22.06. CONSENT AS DEFENSE TO ASSAULTIVE CONDUCT. (a) The victim's effective consent or the actor's reasonable belief that the victim consented to the actor's conduct is a defense to prosecution under Section 22.01 (Assault), 22.02 (Aggravated Assault), or 22.05 (Deadly Condu…

Sec. 22.07. TERRORISTIC THREAT. (a) A person commits an offense if he threatens to commit any offense involving violence to any person or property with intent to: (1) cause a reaction of any type to his threat by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;…

Sec. 22.08. AIDING SUICIDE. (a) A person commits an offense if, with intent to promote or assist the commission of suicide by another, he aids or attempts to aid the other to commit or attempt to commit suicide. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor unless th…

Sec. 22.09. TAMPERING WITH CONSUMER PRODUCT. (a) In this section: (1) "Consumer Product" means any product offered for sale to or for consumption by the public and includes "food" and "drugs" as those terms are defined in Section 431.002, Health and Safety Code. (2) "Tamper" mean…

Sec. 22.10. LEAVING A CHILD IN A VEHICLE. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly leaves a child in a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes, knowing that the child is: (1) younger than seven years of age; and (2) not attended by an individual in the …

Sec. 22.11. HARASSMENT BY PERSONS IN CERTAIN FACILITIES; HARASSMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANT. (a) A person commits an offense if, with the intent to assault, harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrass the person: (1) while imprisoned or confined in a correctional or detention fa…