By: Leach H.B. No. 4601
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to certain suits for personal injury that arise as a result
  of conduct that violates certain Penal Code provisions concerning
  sexual offenses against a child but that are filed against certain
  persons who did not commit the conduct that violated those Penal
  Code provisions.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 16.0045(a), Civil Practice and Remedies
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a [A] person
  must bring suit for personal injury not later than 30 years after
  the day the cause of action accrues if the injury arises as a result
  of conduct that violates:
               (1)  Section 22.011(a)(2), Penal Code (sexual assault
  of a child);
               (2)  Section 22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code (aggravated
  sexual assault of a child);
               (3)  Section 21.02, Penal Code (continuous sexual abuse
  of young child or disabled individual);
               (4)  Section 20A.02(a)(7)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (H) or
  Section 20A.02(a)(8), Penal Code, involving an activity described
  by Section 20A.02(a)(7)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (H) or sexual conduct
  with a child trafficked in the manner described by Section
  20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code (certain sexual trafficking of a child);
               (5)  Section 43.05(a)(2), Penal Code (compelling
  prostitution by a child); or
               (6)  Section 21.11, Penal Code (indecency with a
  child).
         SECTION 2.  Section 16.0045, Civil Practice and Remedies
  Code, is amended by adding Subsections (a-1), (a-2), and (a-3) to
  read as follows:
         (a-1)  A person must bring suit for personal injury against a
  non-perpetrator not later than fifteen years after the day the
  cause of action accrues if:
               (1)  the injury arises as a result of conduct that
  violates a Penal Code provision listed in Subsection (a); and
               (2)  the person against whom the suit is filed had a
  safe environment program at the time the injury occurred.
         (a-2)  For the purposes of Subsection (a-1):
               (1)  "non-perpetrator" means a person who did not
  directly physically assault the claimant or a person who is not the
  individual who committed the conduct that violates a provision of
  the Penal Code listed in Subsection (a); and
               (2)  "safe environment program" means a good faith
  effort by a person to:
                     (A)  conduct criminal background checks of the
  person's employees not less than one time every five years;
                     (B)  require the person's employees to attend not
  less than one time every five years an in-person or on-line
  educational program related to the sexual abuse of minors and the
  reporting of sexual abuse of minors; and
                     (C)  report allegations of sexual abuse of minors
  by employees of the person to the Department of Family and
  Protective Services or law enforcement as required by law.
         (a-3)  A claimant who files a suit described by Subsection
  (a) against a person described by Subsection (a-1) may not recover
  any damages against a non-perpetrator unless the claimant proves
  each element of the cause of action by clear and convincing
  evidence.
         (a-4)  Nothing in this Act creates a private cause of action
  against a person concerning a safe environment program as set forth
  herein.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of
  this Act.  A cause of action that accrues before the effective date
  of this Act is governed by the law applicable to the cause of action
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023