HB 1983 proposes to create the criminal offense of child endangerment involving smuggling across an international border. The bill criminalizes situations where a parent, guardian, or custodian knowingly engages an individual or organization to unlawfully transport a child across an international border, resulting in the child being found without proper custody, placed at substantial risk of harm, or abandoned and exploited. The offense is classified as a state jail felony but can be elevated to a second-degree felony if the child suffers serious bodily injury, or a first-degree felony if the child dies as a result. The bill specifies that a defendant cannot claim a defense based on believing the action was in the child’s best interest, and violators may face prosecution under multiple provisions of the Penal Code.