HBA-LJP H.B. 656 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 656 By: Goolsby Criminal Jurisprudence 2/12/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Only a small percentage of sexual assaults are reported each year. In many cases, the statute of limitations for a sexual assault expires before a person reports the crime. Recent advancements in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology have made it possible to solve older cases of sexual offenses. House Bill 656 eliminates the limitation period of a felony indictment for a sexual offense if during the investigation of the offense biological matter is collected and subjected to forensic DNA testing. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 656 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to establish no time limitation for a sexual assault felony indictment if during the investigation of the offense biological matter is collected and subjected to forensic DNA testing that shows that the matter did not match the victim or any other person whose identity is readily ascertained. For a sexual assault not subject to the condition above, the bill establishes a ten-year limitation period beginning on the date of the commission of the offense, unless the victim of the sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault is a child, in which case, the ten-year limitation period begins on the 18th birthday of the victim of the offense. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.