HB 2333
AN ACT relating to certain statutes of limitations for criminal offenses,
89th Regular Session
Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended
Awaiting Committee Assignment
Bill filed, pending referral to House committee
Committee
Not yet assigned
Fiscal Note
Not available
What This Bill Does
Updates Texas statutes of limitations for various criminal offenses, extending the time period for prosecuting certain serious crimes like sexual assault, child trafficking, and election-related felonies. The law provides more flexibility for prosecuting complex cases, particularly when biological evidence or investigations reveal additional details, and establishes different statute of limitation timelines based on the specific type of offense and circumstances. Key changes include longer prosecution windows for offenses involving minors, sexual crimes, and election-related felonies, with some timeframes starting from the victim's 18th birthday or when the offense was discovered.
Subject Areas
Bill Text
relating to certain statutes of limitations for criminal offenses, including the statutes of limitations for felony offenses relating to an election conducted in this state. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Article 12.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended by Chapters 93 (S.B. 1527), 118 (H.B. 467), 127 (H.B. 1207), 422 (H.B. 1769), 520 (H.B. 3025), 689 (H.B. 1506), 704 (H.B. 2019), 709 (H.B. 2190), 768 (H.B. 4595), 830 (H.B. 2187), 885 (H.B. 4635), and 1041 (S.B. 129), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and amended to read as follows: Art. 12.01. FELONIES. Except as provided in Articles 12.015 and 12.03, felony indictments may be presented within these (B) sexual assault under Section 22.011(a)(2), Penal Code, or aggravated sexual assault under Section (i) during the investigation of the offense biological matter is collected and the matter: (a) has not yet been subjected to (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 (ii) probable cause exists to believe that the defendant has committed the same or a similar sex offense (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, (F) an offense involving leaving the scene of a collision under Section 550.021, Transportation Code, if the collision 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 (I) compelling prostitution under Section 43.05(a)(2) or (3), Penal Code; [or] (J) tampering with physical evidence under Section 37.09(a)(1) or (d)(1), Penal Code, if: (i) the evidence tampered with is a human corpse, as defined by that section; or (ii) the investigation of the offense shows that a reasonable person in the position of the defendant at the time of the commission of the offense would have cause to believe that the evidence tampered with is related to a criminal homicide (K) [(J)] interference with child custody under Section 25.03(a)(3), Penal Code; or (L) [(J)] burglary under Section 30.02, Penal (i) the offense is punishable under Subsection (d) of that section because the defendant entered a habitation with the intent to commit an offense under Section 22.011 or 22.021, Penal Code; and (ii) during the investigation of the offense biological matter is collected and the matter: (a) has not yet been subjected to (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 (2) ten years from the date of the commission of the (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 (D) injury to an elderly or disabled individual punishable as a felony of the first degree under Section 22.04, (E) sexual assault, except as provided by (G) trafficking of persons under Section 20A.02(a)(1), (2), (3), or (4), Penal Code; or (H) compelling prostitution under Section (3) seven years from the date of the commission of the (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 (D) false statement to obtain property or credit under Section 32.32, Penal Code; (F) credit card or debit card abuse under Section (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 (J) bigamy under Section 25.01, Penal Code, except as provided by Subdivision (7); 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 (B) except as provided by Subdivision (5), (C) [(B-1)] except as provided by Subdivision (D) [(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; (E) [(D)] abandoning or endangering an [a child,] elderly [individual,] or disabled individual; (G) [(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; (H) [(G)] continuous violence against the family under Section 25.11, Penal Code; [or] (I) [(H)] aggravated assault under Section (J) a felony offense under the Election Code or otherwise related to an election conducted in this state; (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 (A) kidnapping under Section 20.03, Penal Code, or aggravated kidnapping under Section 20.04, Penal Code; or (B) subject to Subdivision (1)(L) [(1)(J)], burglary under Section 30.02, Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (d) of that section because the defendant entered a habitation with the intent to commit an offense described by Subdivision (1)(B) or (D) of this article or Paragraph (6) 20 years from the 18th birthday of the victim of (A) trafficking of a child [persons] under Section 20A.02(a)(5) or (6), Penal Code; or (B) sexual performance by a child under Section (7) ten years from the 18th birthday of the victim of (A) injury to a child under Section 22.04, Penal (B) 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; or (C) [(D)] abandoning or endangering a child; (8) [(7)] ten years from the date the offense was discovered: trafficking of a disabled individual under Section 20A.02(a)(5) or (6), Penal Code; (9) [(8)] 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 (10) [(9)] three years from the date of the commission of the offense: all other felonies. SECTION 2. 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 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to certain statutes of limitations for criminal offenses,
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