An Act To Extend the Statute of Limitations on Certain Sex Crimes
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1999, c. 438, §2, is further amended to read:
2. Prosecutions Except as provided in subsection 2-A, prosecutions for crimes other than murder or criminal homicide in the first or 2nd degree, or, if the victim had not attained the age of 16 years at the time of the crime, prosecutions for: incest; unlawful sexual contact; sexual abuse of a minor; rape or gross sexual assault, formerly denominated as gross sexual misconduct, are subject to the following periods of limitations:
A. A prosecution for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime must be commenced within 6 years after it is committed; and
B. A prosecution for a Class D or Class E crime must be commenced within 3 years after it is committed.
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A. A prosecution for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime involving unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault must be commenced within 8 years after it is committed.
This subsection does not apply to a Class D crime enhanced to a Class C crime pursuant to section 1252, subsection 4-A.
Sec. 3. Application. This Act applies to the crimes of gross sexual assault under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A, section 253 and unlawful sexual contact under Title 17-A, section 255-A committed on or after the effective date of this Act or for which the prosecution has not yet been barred by the statute of limitations in force immediately prior to the effective date of this Act.
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 126th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.