March 2007 Press Release
States with Jessica's Law

JESSICA'S LAW PASSES THE HOUSE

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 6, 2007

(AUSTIN) - Today, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 8 (HB 8), otherwise known as "Jessica's Law". House Bill 8 was authored by Rep. Debbie Riddle (Tomball)."

With this legislation, we are sending a strong message to sex offenders of the enormous value we place on our children and that violence and abuse will not be tolerated," Speaker Craddick (Midland) said. "It is my hope that these laws will not only punish those who deserve to be brought to justice, but will also serve as a deterrent against would-be assailants. I would like to thank Rep. Riddle and the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence for their hard work on this legislation."

House Bill 8 will provide a 25-year minimum sentence for those who molest children and the death penalty or life in prison without parole for those who do it twice by making a second conviction of a sexually violent offense against a child a capital felony. The bill abolishes the statute of limitations for sexual assault of a child, giving the victim unlimited time to face their accusers and stop them from assaulting more children.

The bill also creates a new offense for prosecutors called "Continuous Sexual Assault of a Young Child". This is when a sex offense is committed against a child younger than 14 years, more than once, over a period of 30 days or more, or by committing offenses against multiple children over a period of 30 days or more. This ensures that the offenders being targeted are truly habitual felons, and it protects the testimony of children by not forcing them to recall exact points in time when they testify. "

Jessica's Law ensures that the worst of the worst will suffer serious consequences for the abuse of any child," Rep. Riddle said. "They will face long sentences for their crimes, and for those who cannot be deterred, they will be stopped and removed from society. I applaud Speaker Craddick and the state leadership for recognizing the urgency of this issue and working together as a team to pass this legislation."

In 2005, 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted from her Florida home, sexually assaulted, and murdered by a convicted sex offender. In response to this horrific crime, 20 states have passed some version of "Jessica's Law". The five states that currently allow the death penalty for sexual assaults committed against children are Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Montana, and Florida.

CONTACT
Alexis DeLee or Chris Cutrone
(512) 463- 0223

States with Jessica's Law

SEX OFFENDER LAWS, COSTS IN OTHER STATES
A look at other states' "Jessica Laws" to toughen punishment for sex offenders and the proposal up for a vote March 5 in the Texas House:

CALIFORNIA
Tracks high-risk sex offenders with GPS monitoring devices. Bans sexual predators from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks. Imposes mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years to life for anyone who rapes a child. Will cost the state about $130 million in fiscal 2008.

FLORIDA
Tracks sex offenders with GPS monitoring devices. Imposes mandatory 25-year minimum sentences for certain child sex offenders. Bans sexual predators from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks. Costs the state close to $12 million annually.

LOUISIANA
Bans sexual predators from living within 1,000 feet of schools and bus stops. Imposes mandatory 25-year minimum sentences for certain child sex offenders. Costs the state $1 million annually. And under a separate 1995 law, Louisiana was the first state to allow the death penalty for certain child sex predators – and is the only one with an inmate on death row for child rape.

OKLAHOMA
Tracks high-risk sex offenders with GPS monitoring devices. Imposes mandatory 25-year minimum sentences for certain child sex offenders. Allows the death penalty for certain repeat child sex offenders. Is an "unfunded mandate," according to state budget officials, and sex offenders are required to cover the costs of their own GPS systems.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Tracks high-risk sex offenders with GPS monitoring devices. Imposes mandatory 25-year minimum sentences for high-level offenders. Allows the death penalty for certain repeat child sex offenders. Cost the state $2.7 million last year, with $53.3 million in anticipated costs over 40 years.

WISCONSIN
Imposes mandatory 25-year minimum sentences for certain child sex offenders. Tracks sex offenders with GPS monitoring devices. Will cost the state $400 million in new prison construction over 25 years, according to state corrections officials.

The Texas House bill would ...
Allow the death penalty for certain repeat child sex offenders. Increase penalties for certain first-time child sex offenders. Prohibit early release from prison or parole for first-time violent child sex offenders. Extend the statute of limitations for child sex crimes to give young victims until their 38th birthday to bring charges against a sex offender. Impose no significant costs for the first five years, according to legislative analysts.