By: Meyer, Morales of Maverick, Metcalf H.B. No. 1769
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the statute of limitations for certain offenses
  committed against children.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 12.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 12.01.  FELONIES. Except as provided in Article 12.03,
  felony indictments may be presented within these limits, and not
  afterward:
               (1)  no limitation:
                     (A)  murder and manslaughter;
                     (B)  sexual assault under Section 22.011(a)(2),
  Penal Code, or aggravated sexual assault under Section
  22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code;
                     (C)  sexual assault, if:
                           (i)  during the investigation of the offense
  biological matter is collected and the matter:
                                 (a)  has not yet been subjected to
  forensic DNA testing; or
                                 (b)  has been subjected to forensic DNA
  testing and the testing results show that the matter does not match
  the victim or any other person whose identity is readily
  ascertained; or
                           (ii)  probable cause exists to believe that
  the defendant has committed the same or a similar sex offense
  against five or more victims;
                     (D)  continuous sexual abuse of young child or
  disabled individual under Section 21.02, Penal Code;
                     (E)  indecency with a child under Section 21.11,
  Penal Code;
                     (F)  an offense involving leaving the scene of an
  accident under Section 550.021, Transportation Code, if the
  accident resulted in the death of a person;
                     (G)  trafficking of persons under Section
  20A.02(a)(7) or (8), Penal Code;
                     (H)  continuous trafficking of persons under
  Section 20A.03, Penal Code; or
                     (I)  compelling prostitution under Section
  43.05(a)(2), Penal Code;
               (2)  ten years from the date of the commission of the
  offense:
                     (A)  theft of any estate, real, personal or mixed,
  by an executor, administrator, guardian or trustee, with intent to
  defraud any creditor, heir, legatee, ward, distributee,
  beneficiary or settlor of a trust interested in such estate;
                     (B)  theft by a public servant of government
  property over which the public servant exercises control in the
  public servant's official capacity;
                     (C)  forgery or the uttering, using, or passing of
  forged instruments;
                     (D)  injury to an elderly or disabled individual
  punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section 22.04,
  Penal Code;
                     (E)  sexual assault, except as provided by
  Subdivision (1) or (8) [(7)];
                     (F)  arson;
                     (G)  trafficking of persons under Section
  20A.02(a)(1), (2), (3), or (4), Penal Code; or
                     (H)  compelling prostitution under Section
  43.05(a)(1), Penal Code;
               (3)  seven years from the date of the commission of the
  offense:
                     (A)  misapplication of fiduciary property or
  property of a financial institution;
                     (B)  fraudulent securing of document execution;
                     (C)  a felony violation under Chapter 162, Tax
  Code;
                     (D)  false statement to obtain property or credit
  under Section 32.32, Penal Code;
                     (E)  money laundering;
                     (F)  credit card or debit card abuse under Section
  32.31, Penal Code;
                     (G)  fraudulent use or possession of identifying
  information under Section 32.51, Penal Code;
                     (H)  exploitation of a child, elderly individual,
  or disabled individual under Section 32.53, Penal Code;
                     (I)  health care fraud under Section 35A.02, Penal
  Code; [or]
                     (J)  bigamy under Section 25.01, Penal Code,
  except as provided by Subdivision (7) [(6)]; or
                     (K)  possession or promotion of child pornography
  under Section 43.26, Penal Code;
               (4)  five years from the date of the commission of the
  offense:
                     (A)  theft or robbery;
                     (B)  except as provided by Subdivision (5),
  kidnapping or burglary;
                     (C)  injury to an elderly or disabled individual
  that is not punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section
  22.04, Penal Code;
                     (D)  abandoning or endangering a child; or
                     (E)  insurance fraud;
               (5)  if the investigation of the offense shows that the
  victim is younger than 17 years of age at the time the offense is
  committed, 20 years from the 18th birthday of the victim of one of
  the following offenses:
                     (A)  [sexual performance by a child under Section
  43.25, Penal Code;
                     [(B)]  aggravated kidnapping under Section
  20.04(a)(4), Penal Code, if the defendant committed the offense
  with the intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually; or
                     (B) [(C)]  burglary under Section 30.02, Penal
  Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (d) of that
  section and the defendant committed the offense with the intent to
  commit an offense described by Subdivision (1)(B) or (D) of this
  article or Paragraph (A) [(B)] of this subdivision;
               (6)  20 years from the 18th birthday of the victim of
  one of the following offenses:
                     (A)  trafficking of persons under Section
  20A.02(a)(5) or (6), Penal Code; or
                     (B)  sexual performance by a child under Section
  43.25, Penal Code;
               (7)  ten years from the 18th birthday of the victim of
  the offense:
                     (A)  [trafficking of persons under Section
  20A.02(a)(5) or (6), Penal Code;
                     [(B)]  injury to a child under Section 22.04,
  Penal Code; or
                     (B) [(C)]  bigamy under Section 25.01, Penal
  Code, if the investigation of the offense shows that the person,
  other than the legal spouse of the defendant, whom the defendant
  marries or purports to marry or with whom the defendant lives under
  the appearance of being married is younger than 18 years of age at
  the time the offense is committed;
               (8) [(7)]  two years from the date the offense was
  discovered: sexual assault punishable as a state jail felony under
  Section 22.011(f)(2), Penal Code; or
               (9) [(8)]  three years from the date of the commission
  of the offense: all other felonies.
         SECTION 2.  Article 12.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
  amended by this Act, does not apply to an offense if the prosecution
  of that offense becomes barred by limitation before the effective
  date of this Act. The prosecution of that offense remains barred as
  if this Act had not taken effect.
         SECTION 3.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
  over another Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.