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S. B. No. 2078 *SS36/R171* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS36/R171
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To: Judiciary, Division B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Blackwell
SENATE BILL NO. 2078
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 99-1-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
PROVIDE THAT THE GENERAL TWO-YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON CRIMES 2
WILL NOT RUN AGAINST THE CRIME OF SEXUAL BATTERY; AND FOR RELATED 3
PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 99-1-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
99-1-5. (1) (a) The passage of time shall never bar 8
prosecution against any person for the offenses of murder, 9
manslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated domestic violence, 10
kidnapping, arson, burglary, forgery, counterfeiting, robbery, 11
larceny, rape, sexual battery, embezzlement, obtaining money or 12
property under false pretenses or by fraud, felonious abuse or 13
battery of a child as described in Section 97-5-39, touching or 14
handling a child for lustful purposes as described in Section 15
97-5-23, * * * exploitation of children as described in Section 16
97-5-33, promoting prostitution under Section 97-29-51(2) when the 17
person involved is a minor, felonious abuse of vulnerable persons, 18
as described in Section 43-47-18, sexual battery as described in 19
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Section 97-3-95(1)(a) or (b) when the identity of the accused is 20
later discovered due to results of DNA testing of biological 21
evidence, or any human trafficking offense as described in Section 22
97-3-54.1(1)(a), (1)(b) or (1)(c), Section 97-3-54.2, or Section 23
97-3-54.3. 24
(b) A person shall not be prosecuted for felonious 25
assistance-program fraud, as described in Section 97-19-71, or for 26
felonious abuse of vulnerable persons, as described in Section 27
43-47-19, unless the prosecution for the offense is commenced 28
within five (5) years after the commission thereof. 29
(c) A person shall not be prosecuted for larceny of 30
timber as described in Section 97-17-59, unless the prosecution 31
for the offense is commenced within six (6) years after the 32
commission thereof. 33
(d) The time limitation on prosecution for conspiracy, 34
as described in Section 97-1-1, shall be the same as for the 35
underlying offense for which the defendant is accused of 36
conspiring to commit. 37
(e) A person shall not be prosecuted for bribery as 38
defined in Section 97-11-11, unless the prosecution for the 39
offense is commenced within five (5) years after the commission 40
thereof. 41
(2) A person shall not be prosecuted for any other offense 42
not listed in this section unless the prosecution for the offense 43
is commenced within two (2) years after the commission thereof. 44
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ST: Statute of limitations; except sexual
battery from.
(3) Nothing contained in this section shall bar any 45
prosecution against any person who shall abscond or flee from 46
justice, or shall absent himself from this state or out of the 47
jurisdiction of the court, or so conduct himself that he cannot be 48
found by the officers of the law, or that process cannot be served 49
upon him. 50
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 51
and after July 1, 2026. 52