Governor Abbott Signs Comprehensive Border Security Legislation
Governor Greg Abbott today hosted a signing ceremony at the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Regional Headquarters in Houston, TX, where he promoted his border security initiative – one of the Governor’s emergency legislative items. At the event, Governor Abbott ceremonially signed HB 11 (D. Bonnen, R-Angleton; Birdwell, R-Granbury), which, coupled with the state budget’s historic $800 million investment in border security, will accelerate DPS’s hiring of 250 additional troopers for the border region, provide additional training and equipment along the border and give prosecutors additional tools necessary to crack down on criminal cartel enterprises involved in human and drug smuggling.
“We cannot be naïve to the threat posed by drug cartels and transnational gangs. And Texas will not sit idly by while the federal government fails to do its job and secure the border,” said Governor Abbott. “I’m proud to sign legislation to implement measures that will help provide for the safety and security of communities across Texas.”
In addition to signing HB 11, Governor Abbott also signed bills that will establish a Child Sex Trafficking Prevention Unit, increase penalties for human traffickers and provide more resources to the border prosecution unit:
- HB 10 (Thompson, D-Houston: Huffman, R-Houston): Relating to certain criminal and civil consequences of trafficking of persons, compelling prostitution, and certain other related criminal offenses; to the prevention, prosecution, and punishment of those offenses, and to compensation paid to victims of those offenses.
- HB 12 (Longoria, D-Mission; Hinojosa, D-McAllen): Relating to the border prosecution unit.
- SCR 5 (Estes, R-Wichita Falls; R-Canton): Relating to the federal government’s responsibility to secure the border