HOUSTON – State lawmakers unanimously gave approval in the first vote on H.B. 2000, better known as “Audrii’s Law” after a public hearing on Tuesday.
Members of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee in the Texas House of Representatives held a public hearing on Tuesday morning. They heard emotional testimony from Audrii Cunningham’s grandparents, Tabitha and Philip Munsch.
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Audrii, 11, was murdered last February by Don Steven McDougal, in Livingston, Texas.
McDougal had a previous conviction of a sex crime against a minor, but took a plea deal to lessen the charge, ultimately evading registering as a sex offender.
Cunningham’s family let McDougal live in a camper behind their home, believing that he was trying to get his life back on track.
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He admitted to killing Audrii when he accepted a plea deal to spend the rest of his life in prison, without the opportunity for parole.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Trent Ashby, aims to close the loophole of those accused and convicted of sex crimes by automatically requiring registration as a sex offender. “Audrii’s Law” would add enticing a child and child grooming to the required offenses, as well as requiring registration regardless of a plea deal.
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Following a morning public hearing, the committee voted 11-0 in a unanimous decision to move ‘Audrii’s Law’ forward.
The bill will now move to the State Senate for a similar process. If approved, it will ultimately land on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for approval and could become law as soon as September 1, 2025.
