Tex. Penal Code § 71.02 · Chapter 71. ORGANIZED CRIME
ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
Text of subsection as reenacted and amended by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 319 (S.B. 1646), Sec. 1.06
(a) A person commits an offense if, with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the profits of a combination or as a member of a criminal street gang or foreign terrorist organization, the person commits or conspires to commit one or more of the following:
(1) murder, capital murder, arson, aggravated robbery, robbery, burglary, theft, aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, continuous sexual abuse of young child or disabled individual, solicitation of a minor, forgery, deadly conduct, assault punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, burglary of a motor vehicle, or unauthorized use of a motor vehicle;
(2) any gambling offense punishable as a Class A misdemeanor;
(3) promotion of prostitution, aggravated promotion of prostitution, or compelling prostitution;
(4) unlawful manufacture, transportation, repair, or sale of firearms or prohibited weapons;
(5) unlawful manufacture, delivery, dispensation, or distribution of a controlled substance or dangerous drug, or unlawful possession of a controlled substance or dangerous drug:
(A) through forgery, fraud, misrepresentation, or deception; or
(B) with the intent to deliver the controlled substance or dangerous drug;
(5-a) causing the unlawful delivery, dispensation, or distribution of a controlled substance or dangerous drug in violation of Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code;
(5-b) any unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance or dangerous drug;
(5-c) unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance listed in Penalty Group 1-B under Section 481.1022, Health and Safety Code;
(6) any unlawful wholesale promotion or possession of any obscene material or obscene device with the intent to wholesale promote the same;
(7) any offense under Subchapter B, Chapter 43, depicting or involving conduct by or directed toward a child younger than 18 years of age;
(8) any felony offense under Chapter 32;
(9) any offense under Chapter 36;
(10) any offense under Chapter 34, 35, or 35A;
(11) any offense under Section 37.11(a);
(12) any offense under Chapter 20A;
(13) any offense under Section 37.10;
(14) any offense under Section 38.06, 38.07, 38.09, or 38.11;
(15) any offense under Section 42.10;
(16) any offense under Section 46.06(a)(1) or 46.14;
(17) any offense under Section 20.05, 20.06, or 20.07;
(18) any offense under Section 16.02;
(19) any offense punishable under Section 42.03(d) or (e);
(20) an offense under Section 28.03 that is punishable under Subsection (b)(4)(E) or (l) of that section;
(21) an offense under:
(A) Section 31.21 that is punishable under Subsection (d) of that section; or
(B) Section 31.22 that is punishable under Subsection (e) of that section;
(22) any offense classified as a felony under the Tax Code; or
(23) any offense under Section 545.420, Transportation Code.
Text of subsection as reenacted and amended by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 756 (S.B. 20), Sec. 3
(a) A person commits an offense if, with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the profits of a combination or as a member of a criminal street gang or foreign terrorist organization, the person commits or conspires to commit one or more of the following:
(1) murder, capital murder, arson, aggravated robbery, robbery, burglary, theft, aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, continuous sexual abuse of young child or disabled individual, solicitation of a minor, forgery, deadly conduct, assault punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, burglary of a motor vehicle, or unauthorized use of a motor vehicle;
(2) any gambling offense punishable as a Class A misdemeanor;
(3) promotion of prostitution, aggravated promotion of prostitution, or compelling prostitution;
(4) unlawful manufacture, transportation, repair, or sale of firearms or prohibited weapons;
(5) unlawful manufacture, delivery, dispensation, or distribution of a controlled substance or dangerous drug, or unlawful possession of a controlled substance or dangerous drug:
(A) through forgery, fraud, misrepresentation, or deception; or
(B) with the intent to deliver the controlled substance or dangerous drug;
(5-a) causing the unlawful delivery, dispensation, or distribution of a controlled substance or dangerous drug in violation of Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code;
(6) any unlawful wholesale promotion or possession of any obscene material or obscene device with the intent to wholesale promote the same;
(7) any offense under Subchapter B, Chapter 43, depicting or involving conduct by or directed toward a child younger than 18 years of age;
(8) any felony offense under Chapter 32;
(9) any offense under Chapter 36;
(10) any offense under Chapter 34, 35, or 35A;
(11) any offense under Section 37.11(a);
(12) any offense under Chapter 20A;
(13) any offense under Section 37.10;
(14) any offense under Section 38.06, 38.07, 38.09, or 38.11;
(15) any offense under Section 42.10;
(16) any offense under Section 43.235;
(17) any offense under Section 46.06(a)(1) or 46.14;
(18) any offense under Section 20.05, 20.06, or 20.07;
(19) any offense under Section 16.02;
(20) any offense punishable under Section 42.03(d) or (e);
(21) an offense under Section 28.03 that is punishable under Subsection (b)(4)(E) of that section;
(22) an offense under Section 31.21 that is punishable under Subsection (d) of that section;
(23) any offense classified as a felony under the Tax Code; or
(24) any offense under Section 545.420, Transportation Code.
(b) Except as provided in Subsections (c), (d), and (e), an offense under this section is one category higher than the most serious offense listed in Subsection (a) that was committed, and if the most serious offense is a Class A misdemeanor, the offense is a state jail felony, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for:
(1) life without parole, if the most serious offense is an aggravated sexual assault and if at the time of that offense the defendant is 18 years of age or older and:
(A) the victim of the offense is younger than six years of age;
(B) the victim of the offense is younger than 14 years of age and the actor commits the offense in a manner described by Section 22.021(a)(2)(A); or
(C) the victim of the offense is younger than 17 years of age and suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the offense;
(2) life or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 30 years if the most serious offense is an offense under Section 20.06 that is punishable under Subsection (g) of that section; or
(3) life or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 15 years if the most serious offense is an offense punishable as a felony of the first degree, other than an offense described by Subdivision (1) or (2).
(c) Notwithstanding Section 15.02(d), a conspiracy to commit an offense under this section is punishable in the same manner as an offense under this section.
(d) At the punishment stage of a trial, the defendant may raise the issue as to whether in voluntary and complete renunciation of the offense he withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subsection (a) and made substantial effort to prevent the commission of the offense. If the defendant proves the issue in the affirmative by a preponderance of the evidence the offense is the same category of offense as the most serious offense listed in Subsection (a) that is committed.
(e) An offense that is punishable as a second degree felony or as any lower category of offense under Subsection (b) is one additional category higher than the category listed under Subsection (b) if the person used or exhibited a deadly weapon during the commission of one or more of the offenses listed under Subsection (a) and if an offense is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor under Subsection (b), the offense is a state jail felony.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 922, ch. 346, Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 1977. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 2373, ch. 587, Sec. 1 to 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1981; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 782, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 555, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 318, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 189, Sec. 9, eff. May 21, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 685, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 641, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1162 (H.B. 3376), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1163 (H.B. 126), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 153 (S.B. 2225), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1130 (H.B. 2086), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1357 (S.B. 554), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 68 (S.B. 934), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 91 (S.B. 1303), Sec. 20.003, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 223 (H.B. 260), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 620 (S.B. 688), Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1200 (S.B. 158), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1200 (S.B. 158), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 16.005, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1252 (H.B. 8), Sec. 21, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1325 (S.B. 549), Sec. 4(b), eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 333 (H.B. 11), Sec. 16, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 253 (H.B. 869), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 221 (H.B. 375), Sec. 2.27, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 269 (S.B. 224), Sec. 2.05, eff. May 29, 2023.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 369 (H.B. 1442), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 462 (S.B. 1900), Sec. 19, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 885 (H.B. 4635), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 910 (H.B. 6), Sec. 21, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 319 (S.B. 1646), Sec. 1.06, eff. May 30, 2025.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 756 (S.B. 20), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.71.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 f747b4c8d84aff6870469956ed4b62742edf7e9f96be3186af601e59fb5d480e
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Health and Safety Code
Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 15.02CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.Printed as Section 15.02(d)
- Tex. Penal Code § 16.02UNLAWFUL INTERCEPTION, USE, OR DISCLOSURE OF WIRE, ORAL, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS.Printed as Section 16.02
- Tex. Penal Code § 20.05SMUGGLING OF PERSONS.Printed as Section 20.05, 20.06, or 20.07
- Tex. Penal Code § 20.06CONTINUOUS SMUGGLING OF PERSONS.Printed as Section 20.05, 20.06, or 20.07 | Section 20.06
- Tex. Penal Code § 20.07OPERATION OF STASH HOUSE.Printed as Section 20.05, 20.06, or 20.07
- Tex. Penal Code ch. 20ATRAFFICKING OF PERSONSPrinted as Chapter 20A
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.021AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT.Printed as Section 22.021(a)(2)(A)
- Tex. Penal Code § 28.03CRIMINAL MISCHIEF.Printed as Section 28.03
- Tex. Penal Code § 31.21UNAUTHORIZED POSSESSION OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER.Printed as Section 31.21
- Tex. Penal Code § 31.22UNAUTHORIZED POSSESSION OF CERTAIN COPPER OR BRASS MATERIAL.Printed as Section 31.22
- Tex. Penal Code ch. 32FRAUDPrinted as Chapter 32
- Tex. Penal Code ch. 34MONEY LAUNDERINGPrinted as Chapter 34
- Tex. Penal Code ch. 36BRIBERY AND CORRUPT INFLUENCEPrinted as Chapter 36
- Tex. Penal Code § 37.10TAMPERING WITH GOVERNMENTAL RECORD.Printed as Section 37.10
- Tex. Penal Code § 37.11IMPERSONATING PUBLIC SERVANT.Printed as Section 37.11(a)
- Tex. Penal Code § 38.06ESCAPE.Printed as Section 38.06, 38.07, 38.09, or 38.11
- Tex. Penal Code § 38.07PERMITTING OR FACILITATING ESCAPE.Printed as Section 38.06, 38.07, 38.09, or 38.11
- Tex. Penal Code § 38.09IMPLEMENTS FOR ESCAPE.Printed as Section 38.06, 38.07, 38.09, or 38.11
- Tex. Penal Code § 38.11PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES AND ITEMS IN CORRECTIONAL OR CIVIL COMMITMENT FACILITY.Printed as Section 38.06, 38.07, 38.09, or 38.11
- Tex. Penal Code § 42.03OBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAY.Printed as Section 42.03(d)
- Tex. Penal Code § 42.10DOG FIGHTING.Printed as Section 42.10
- Tex. Penal Code ch. 43, subch. BOBSCENITYPrinted as Subchapter B, Chapter 43
- Tex. Penal Code § 43.235POSSESSION, PROMOTION, OR PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN VISUAL MATERIAL APPEARING TO DEPICT CHILD.Printed as Section 43.235
- Tex. Penal Code § 46.06UNLAWFUL TRANSFER OF CERTAIN WEAPONS.Printed as Section 46.06(a)(1) or 46.14
- Tex. Penal Code § 46.14FIREARM SMUGGLING.Printed as Section 46.06(a)(1) or 46.14
Cited by 13 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Penal Code § 71.02. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Civil Practice and Remedies Code
Code of Criminal Procedure
Education Code
Government Code
- Tex. Gov't Code § 411.0207PUBLIC CORRUPTION UNIT.Printed as Section 71.02, Penal Code
- Tex. Gov't Code § 508.145ELIGIBILITY FOR RELEASE ON PAROLE; COMPUTATION OF PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE.Printed as Section 71.02 or 71.023, Penal Code
- Tex. Gov't Code § 508.149INMATES INELIGIBLE FOR MANDATORY SUPERVISION.Printed as Section 71.02 or 71.023, Penal Code
Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 71.01DEFINITIONS.Printed as Section 71.02
- Tex. Penal Code § 71.028GANG-FREE ZONES.Printed as Section 71.02 | Section 71.02(a)(1)
- Tex. Penal Code § 71.03DEFENSES EXCLUDED.Printed as Section 71.02
- Tex. Penal Code § 71.05RENUNCIATION DEFENSE.Printed as Section 71.02 | Section 71.02(a)
- Tex. Penal Code § 72.01DEFINITIONS.Printed as Section 71.02
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