By: Toth, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Alvarado) H.B. No. 148
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2021;
  May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
  Justice; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the limitations period for certain criminal offenses
  based on assaultive conduct.
         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
  children 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 (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)  securing execution of document by deception;
                     (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 (6);
               (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;
                     (F)  assault under Section 22.01, Penal Code, if
  the assault was committed against a person whose relationship to or
  association with the defendant is described by Section 71.0021(b),
  71.003, or 71.005, Family Code;
                     (G)  continuous violence against the family under
  Section 25.11, Penal Code; or
                     (H)  aggravated assault under Section 22.02,
  Penal Code;
               (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
                     (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 (B) of this subdivision;
               (6)  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
                     (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;
               (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
               (8)  three years from the date of the commission of the
  offense: all other felonies.
         SECTION 2.  Article 12.02, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 12.02.  MISDEMEANORS. (a) Except as provided by
  Subsection (b), the following charging instruments may be presented
  within two years from the date of the commission of the offense, and
  not afterward:
               (1)  an [An] indictment or information for any Class A
  or Class B misdemeanor; and
               (2)  a [may be presented within two years from the date
  of the commission of the offense, and not afterward.
         [(b)  A] complaint or information for any Class C
  misdemeanor.
         (b)  An indictment, information, or complaint, as
  applicable, for assault under Section 22.01, Penal Code, may be
  presented within three [two] years from the date of the commission
  of the offense, and not afterward, if the offense:
               (1)  is punishable as a misdemeanor; and
               (2)  was committed against a person whose relationship
  to or association with the defendant is described by Section
  71.0021(b), 71.003, or 71.005, Family Code.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made 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 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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