Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 170
       
       
        
       By Senator Stewart
       
       
       
       
       
       13-00034-20                                            2020170__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the time limitation on the
    3         prosecution of sexual battery cases; amending s.
    4         775.15, F.S.; providing that a prosecution may be
    5         commenced at any time for specified sexual battery
    6         offenses against victims who were younger than a
    7         certain age at the time the offense was committed;
    8         providing applicability; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (20) is added to section 775.15,
   13  Florida Statutes, and subsection (2) of that section is
   14  republished, to read:
   15         775.15 Time limitations; general time limitations;
   16  exceptions.—
   17         (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section,
   18  prosecutions for other offenses are subject to the following
   19  periods of limitation:
   20         (a) A prosecution for a felony of the first degree must be
   21  commenced within 4 years after it is committed.
   22         (b) A prosecution for any other felony must be commenced
   23  within 3 years after it is committed.
   24         (c) A prosecution for a misdemeanor of the first degree
   25  must be commenced within 2 years after it is committed.
   26         (d) A prosecution for a misdemeanor of the second degree or
   27  a noncriminal violation must be commenced within 1 year after it
   28  is committed.
   29         (20) If a victim was younger than 18 years of age at the
   30  time the offense was committed, a prosecution for a violation of
   31  s. 794.011 may be commenced at any time. This subsection applies
   32  to an offense that is not otherwise barred from prosecution on
   33  or before July 1, 2020.
   34         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.