H 1760 Massachusetts House · 193rd Legislature (2023-2024)

An Act to establish a DNA exception rule for victims of rape

This bill proposes to extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape cases indefinitely if DNA evidence matches the suspect. It directly affects victims of rape who may wish to pursue legal action years after the crime occurred, even if the standard 15-year time limit has passed. The key mechanism requires that a DNA match between the victim and the accused must be established before the prosecution timeline is removed. This change aims to provide more opportunities for justice in cases where DNA evidence becomes available long after the incident.
Bill status passed 3 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Feb 2023
Senate Passage
May 2024
Governor
Introduced Feb 16, 2023 Last action Jul 10, 2024
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate. No roll call record of that vote is available.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
3
Committee
1
May 20, 2024
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Apr 1, 2024
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Feb 16, 2023
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Feb 16, 2023
Committee
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
lower
0 primary · 23 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.