Texas has passed a new law that gives trafficking victims a powerful tool in court. Senate Bill 11 creates what is called an affirmative defense—a legal reason why someone should not be convicted of a crime. This defense applies when a person was forced to commit a crime because they were a victim of human trafficking or forced prostitution.
Under this law, someone can use their victimization as a defense if they can show three key things. First, they would not have committed the crime without the force, lies, or threats used against them. Second, the force or threats would have compelled any reasonable person in their situation to do the same thing. Third, they were not simply given a chance to commit the crime—they were actually forced or coerced into it.
The law defines force, fraud, and coercion the same way Texas already does in human trafficking laws. This means courts will use the same standard that applies in trafficking cases. People using this defense do not have to prove that the person who exploited them was arrested or convicted. They only need to show they were victims and that their exploitation caused them to commit the crime.
Senate Bill 11 passed with strong support in the Texas Legislature. The Senate voted 30 to 0 in favor on August 18, 2025. The House voted 137 to 1 in favor on August 26, 2025. The law became effective on December 4, 2025, and applies to all crimes committed after that date. Our community now has a law that recognizes the real power imbalance between traffickers and their victims and protects people from being punished for crimes they were forced to commit.
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