Relating to human trafficking, prostitution, and child pornography and to the prosecution of sexual or assaultive offenses or the prosecution of a failure to stop or report those offenses; amending and harmonizing certain statute of limitations provisions; creating a criminal offense; increasing a criminal penalty.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Richard Hayes and 5 co-sponsors

Texas expands human trafficking and sexual assault prosecution by extending statutes of limitations, creating new criminal offenses, and increasing penalties for failing to report abuse.

Effective on 9/1/25

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Legislative bill overview

HB 1778 expands Texas law regarding human trafficking, prostitution, and child exploitation by harmonizing statute of limitations provisions across related offenses and creating new criminal penalties. The bill strengthens prosecution tools for sexual offenses, assaultive crimes, and failures to report such crimes, with an effective date of September 1, 2025.

Why is this important

Statute of limitations changes directly affect how long prosecutors have to bring charges—extending timelines can enable prosecution of historical abuse cases that would otherwise be barred. The bill addresses enforcement gaps in human trafficking and child exploitation cases, which often involve delayed reporting and discovery of crimes.

Potential points of contention

Retroactivity questions: Whether extended statutes of limitations apply to crimes committed before the law's effective date, potentially affecting individuals with previously dismissed cases or expired charges

Scope of new offenses: The bill creates unspecified criminal offenses and increases penalties, but the exact nature and severity of these additions require reviewing the statutory text

Failure to report provisions: Expanding duties to report crimes raises questions about who bears legal obligations and potential liability for private citizens, mandatory reporters, and institutions