27 May 2019 :

Senate Bill 719, also known as Lauren’s Law, passed House and Senate and would head to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law. The parents of 13-year-old Lauren Landavazo, who was shot and killed in 2016, have been behind it since she was murdered. Kody Lott shot and killed the girl while she was walking home from school on Sept. 2, 2016. Lott was sentenced to life in prison, but by state law, he will be eligible for parole after he has served 30 calendar years. But if "Lauren's Law" gets signed into law, a person charged with capital murder of a someone under the age of 15 will no longer be eligible for parole. The bill was passed in the Senate and then went to the House. While in committee, the death penalty punishment portion of the bill was removed before being passed by the House on May 21 in a 132 yeas to 8 nays vote. Since SB 719 originated in the Senate through Pat Fallon (R) District 30, the bill went back to the Senate, where it was approved on May 23.