The Texas Senate passed three border security bills, but it's unclear if any of the proposals, including one increasing the penalty for human smuggling, will...
The House version allows for a lighter penalty of five years if someone is caught smuggling a relative, unless they were cavalier about their relatives’ physical safety or sexually abused them.The Senate version tightens the House’s definitions of who is a relative, and also disqualifies a smuggler from a lighter sentence if they use a firearm while committing the crime.
“The Texas Senate is in Austin working diligently to address the priorities of Texans, including these critical bills,” Patrick said.On Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, did not immediately respond to a request for comment . Aside from the mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years — which can decrease to five if the suspect cooperates with officials — the bill would increase the penalty for operating a stash house. Currently a Class A misdemeanor, with a maximum one-year sentence in a county jail, it would become a third-degree felony with a minimum 5-year prison sentence.
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