Texas statute
Tex. Penal Code § 25.08 — Sale or purchase of child
Current through 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session (2025)
Part of Chapter 25: OFFENSES AGAINST THE FAMILY, Texas Penal Code.
Full text of Tex. Penal Code § 25.08
Statutory text current through the 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session (2025). This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of Texas.
(a) A person commits an offense if he: (1) possesses a child younger than 18 years of age or has the custody, conservatorship, or guardianship of a child younger than 18 years of age, whether or not he has actual possession of the child, and he offers to accept, agrees to accept, or accepts a thing of value for the delivery of the child to another or for the possession of the child by another for purposes of adoption; or (2) offers to give, agrees to give, or gives a thing of value to another for acquiring or maintaining the possession of a child for the purpose of adoption. (b) It is an exception to the application of this section that the thing of value is: (1) a fee or reimbursement paid to a child-placing agency as authorized by law; (2) a fee paid to an attorney, social worker, mental health professional, or physician for services rendered in the usual course of legal or medical practice or in providing adoption counseling; (3) a reimbursement of legal or medical expenses incurred by a person for the benefit of the child; or (4) a necessary pregnancy-related expense paid by a child-placing agency for the benefit of the child's parent during the pregnancy or after the birth of the child as permitted by the minimum standards for child-placing agencies and Department of Protective and Regulatory Services rules. (c) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree, except that the offense is a felony of the second degree if the actor commits the offense with intent to commit an offense under Section 20A.02 , 43.021 , 43.05 , or 43.25 .
Official sources
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