Bill > HB1935

This bill modifies Oklahoma's statute of limitations for various criminal prosecutions, making several key changes. Specifically, for sexual crimes against children, the bill allows prosecutions to be commenced by the victim's 45th birthday, with additional provisions for crimes against victims 18 and older that can be prosecuted within 20 years of discovery. The bill expands prosecution opportunities for these crimes if physical evidence (such as DNA) is collected and preserved, or if the accused provides a confession. It also adds a new provision allowing prosecution for failure to report abuse or neglect, and includes safeguards against false claims by establishing potential criminal penalties for knowingly making unfounded allegations. The bill maintains existing time limits for other types of crimes, such as three years for wildlife conservation violations, five years for tax law violations and false checks, and seven years for crimes like bribery, embezzlement of public funds, and arson. An important procedural note is that any offense not already time-barred when the act takes effect will be subject to these new provisions. The bill is set to become effective on November 1, 2025, providing a clear timeline for implementation of these updated criminal prosecution guidelines.