SRC-JBJ S.B. 214 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 214 By: Bernsen Jurisprudence 6/12/2001 Enrolled DIGEST AND PURPOSE Under Texas law, the statute of limitations on kidnapping, injury to a child, elderly, or disabled individual, or abandoning or endangering a child is three years, a term which can cause an undue and unnecessary burden on local district attorneys in solving such cases. S.B. 214 amends the statute of limitations for certain felony offenses. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 12.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, to authorize felony indictments for the commission of the offenses of murder, manslaughter, and 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, to be presented within no limitation of time from the date of the commission of the offense. Authorizes felony indictments for the commission of the offense of injury to a child, elderly individual or disabled individual punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section 22.04, or sexual assault, except as provided by Subdivision (5), to be presented within ten years from the date of the commission of the offense, and not afterwards. Deletes existing text regarding certain indecency with a child offenses. Authorizes felony indictments for the commission of the offense of kidnapping, injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual that is not punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section 22.04, Penal Code, or abandoning or endangering a child to be presented within five years from the date of the commission of the offense, and not afterwards. Deletes existing text regarding certain sexual assault offenses. Authorizes felony indictments for the commission of the offense of indecency with a child under Section 21.11(a)(1) or (2), Penal Code, to be presented within ten years from the 18th birthday of the victim of the offense, and not afterwards. Makes a nonsubstantive change. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001. Makes application of this Act prospective.