Rep. Plasencia Prepared to Call out Senate over Sex Abuse Statute of Limitations Stall

By Gray Rohrer
Orlando Sentinel
April 27, 2015

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-rep-plasencia-call-out-senate-sex-abuse-post.html

Rep. Plasencia prepared to call out Senate over sex abuse statute of limitations stall

Plasencia says if the House passes the bill as is, it will violate the Legislature’s rule against multiple subject bills, making it unconstitutional and allowing sexual batterers outside of the current statute of limitations to go free.

“If a defense attorney challenges any of those laws they’re going to win because it’s a blatant violation of those rules,” Plasencia said.

He specifically laid the blame at Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.

The underlying bill would increase the amount of time prosecutors can bring charges in sexual battery cases from four years after the offense to eight years. Florida’s statute of limitations is currently the third-shortest among the 50 states for sexual battery. Plasencia’s original bill would have increased the time period to 10 years, but the companion bill in the Senate, from Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, would have only increased it to six years.

The bill is back up in the House floor today.

There are five days left in the legislative session. With the House and Senate entangled in combat over Medicaid expansion – and by extension, the budget – very few bills are being passed through to Gov. Rick Scott. As the clock ticks down, a bill that “bounces” between chambers – being stripped of amendments or having amendments added on and sent back to the other chamber – is less likely to pass.

Leaders in both chambers have spoken about the likely need for an extended or special session, but there’s no guarantee that non-fiscal matters like HB 133 will be included.