An Act To Ensure Access to Justice for Victims of Sexual Assault
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 438, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 392, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. 3. 17-A MRSA §8, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 392, §2, is amended to read:
This subsection does not apply to a Class D crime enhanced to a Class C crime pursuant to section 1252, subsection 4-A.
Sec. 4. Application. This Act applies to the following Class A, Class B or Class C crimes 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: gross sexual assault under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A, section 253; and unlawful sexual contact under Title 17-A, section 255-A.
summary
This bill amends the Maine Criminal Code to extend from 8 years to 20 years the statute of limitations applicable to prosecutions for a Class A, Class B or Class C crime involving unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault. These changes apply only to those Class A, Class B and Class C crimes of unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault committed on or after the effective date of this legislation 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 legislation.
The bill also makes a number of technical corrections to the provisions of the Maine Criminal Code governing statutes of limitations to provide additional clarity within those provisions.