An Act Regarding the Statute of Limitations for Certain Sexual
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2207
Committee: Judiciary
Amends: 17-A MRSA §8

Legislative Document
No. 2207
H.P. 1484
House of Representatives, February 10, 2026
An Act Regarding the Statute of Limitations for Certain Sexual 
Offenses Committed Against Minors
Reported by Representative KUHN of Falmouth for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Judiciary pursuant to Public Law 2025, chapter 479, section 2.
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  17-A MRSA §8, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2023, c. 475, §2 and 
affected by §3, is further amended to read:
B.  If the victim had not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the crime, a 
prosecution for incest; unlawful sexual contact; sexual abuse of a minor; rape or gross 
sexual assault, formerly denominated as gross sexual misconduct; unlawful sexual 
touching; aggravated sex trafficking; commercial sexual exploitation of a minor; or 
sexual exploitation of a minor.
Sec. 2.  17-A MRSA §8, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2025, c. 479, §1, is further 
amended to read:
2-A.   A Except as provided in subsection 1, paragraph B, a prosecution for a Class A, 
Class B or Class C crime involving unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault or a 
prosecution for a Class A or Class B crime involving aggravated sex trafficking must be 
commenced within 20 years after it is committed.
This subsection does not apply to a Class D crime enhanced to a Class C crime pursuant to 
section 1604, subsection 5, paragraph B.
Sec. 3.  Application.
 1. This Act applies to the crime of aggravated sex trafficking under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 17-A, section 852 committed on or after the effective date of this Act or for 
which the prosecution has not yet been barred by the statute of limitations in force 
immediately prior to the effective date of this Act. 
2. This Act applies to the crime of commercial sexual exploitation of a minor under the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A, section 855, subsection 1 committed on or after the 
effective date of this Act or for which the prosecution has not yet been barred by the statute 
of limitations in force immediately prior to the effective date of this Act.
SUMMARY
 This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary pursuant to 
Public Law 2025, chapter 479, section 2. The committee has not taken a position on the 
substance of this bill.  By reporting this bill out, the committee is not suggesting and does 
not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill.  The committee 
is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to 
the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal 
course.  The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the 
legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill.
The bill eliminates the statute of limitations for prosecution of the crime of aggravated 
sex trafficking committed against a victim who had not attained the age of 18 years at the 
time of the crime and for prosecution of the crime of commercial sexual exploitation of a 
minor against a victim who had not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the crime.  
These changes do not apply to criminal conduct occurring prior to the effective date of this 
legislation or for which the prosecution has been barred by the statute of limitations in force 
immediately prior to the effective date of this legislation.