HBA-JLV, KDB H.B. 738 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 738 By: Noriega Criminal Jurisprudence 4/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not provide a statute of limitations for crimes which result in the death of an individual, such as murder and manslaughter. The crime of vehicular homicide, however, carries a three-year statute of limitations. Removing this statute of limitations on incidents when a death results from a "hit and run" accident or when a driver fails to stop and render aid after striking and killing another individual with the car, would make the statute for prosecution of vehicular homicide consistent with other crimes of homicide. House Bill 738 provides that there is no statute of limitations on a felony indictment for leaving the scene of an accident, if the accident resulted in the death of a person. 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 738 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide that there is no statute of limitations on a felony indictment for leaving the scene of an accident, if the accident resulted in the death of a person. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.