Texas Senate bill by Sen. Huffman amends aggravated assault felony classifications

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Joan Huffman seeks to clarify the classification of aggravated assault as a second-degree felony, except in specified cases where it is elevated to a first-degree felony, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, six Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while five Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the House, 57 Democrats and 47 Republicans voted in favor, while three Democrats and 36 Republicans voted against it.

Joan Huffman introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Friday, March 21, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Huffman graduated from Louisiana State University with a BA and again from South Texas School of Law with a JD.

Huffman, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2008 to represent the state’s 17th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Kyle Janek.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the punishment for the offense of aggravated assault’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the Penal Code to specify that aggravated assault is a second-degree felony, except in certain circumstances where it becomes a first-degree felony. These circumstances include: using a deadly weapon to cause serious bodily injury to a person with specific relationships to the defendant or causing traumatic injury leading to a vegetative state or paralysis; offenses committed by a public servant abusing official status; retaliation against public servants or process servers; acts against security officers; shooting into a vehicle, habitation, or building knowing it could harm occupants; or as part of a mass shooting. The changes apply to offenses committed on or after Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Thursday, May 22, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.