Why did Texas Pass a Law Criminalizing Groping?
Before this law was passed in September of 2019, Texas was one of six states without specific laws covering groping, inappropriate sexual contact, or indecent assault. Texas only had laws criminalizing sexual assault if the criminal conduct included penetration or a victim younger than 17. So, for instance, if someone was accused of groping prior to September of 2019, they would likely be ticketed for “assault by offensive contact,” a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine, with no possibility of arrest or jail time. The Texas legislature noticed this considerable lack of punishment and decided to raise the severity of the crime to a Class A misdemeanor, on par with Assault by Bodily Injury.