Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 998
       
       
        
       By Senator Bean
       
       
       
       
       
       4-01086A-17                                            2017998__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the statute of limitations for
    3         criminal offenses against minors; amending s. 775.15,
    4         F.S.; extending the statute of limitations periods for
    5         certain kidnapping offenses involving minor victims
    6         based on the age of the victim at the time of the
    7         offense; providing applicability; providing a
    8         directive to the Division of Law Revision and
    9         Information; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Subsection (20) is added to section 775.15,
   14  Florida Statutes, to read:
   15         775.15 Time limitations; general time limitations;
   16  exceptions.—
   17         (20)(a) If the offense is a violation of s. 787.01 or s.
   18  787.02 and the victim was under 13 years of age at the time the
   19  initial confinement, abduction, restraint, or imprisonment
   20  occurred, a prosecution of the offense may be commenced at any
   21  time. This paragraph applies to any such offense that is not
   22  otherwise barred from prosecution on or before the effective
   23  date of this act.
   24         (b) If the offense is a violation of s. 787.01 or s. 787.02
   25  and the victim was between 13 and 17 years of age at the time
   26  the initial confinement, abduction, restraint, or imprisonment
   27  occurred, the applicable period of limitation does not begin to
   28  run until the victim has reached the age of 18 or the victim’s
   29  liberty has been restored, whichever occurs later. This
   30  paragraph applies to any such offense that is not otherwise
   31  barred from prosecution on or before the effective date of this
   32  act.
   33         Section 2. The Division of Law Revision and Information is
   34  directed to replace all instances of “the effective date of this
   35  act” wherever it occurs in this act with the date that this act
   36  becomes law.
   37         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.