The bill amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to eliminate limitations periods for personal injury lawsuits arising from specific offenses against children or disabled individuals. Notably, it redesignates Section 16.0045 as Section 16.0046, which establishes that individuals may bring a suit for personal injury at any time if the injury results from certain serious offenses, including sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, and other related crimes. The bill also removes the previous requirement that such suits must be filed within 30 years of the cause of action accruing.

Additionally, the bill allows for retroactive application to causes of action arising from child sexual abuse that occurred before the effective date of the Act, overriding any existing statutes of limitations. However, it clarifies that the changes do not affect judgments in litigation that were finalized before the Act's effective date or where the limitations period was not a determining factor. The Act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.0045 (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16)