BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1506

By: Meyer

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The current statute of limitations period for the offense of abandoning or endangering a child, which is 5 years from the date of the commission of the offense, is too short a period for some victims of child abandonment or endangerment to come forward. H.B. 1506 seeks to resolve this issue by extending the statute of limitations period for the offense from 5 years from the date of the commission of the offense to 10 years from that date.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1506 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to extend the statute of limitations period for the felony offense of abandoning or endangering a child from within five years of the date the offense was committed to within 10 years from that date. The bill's provisions do not apply to an offense if the prosecution of that offense becomes barred by limitation before the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.