---
type: "Bill"
title: "Statute of limitations."
description: "Provides that an otherwise barred offense may be commenced not later than five years from the earlier of the date on which: (1) the state first discovers DNA evidence sufficient to charge the offender; (2) the state first becomes aware of a recording that provides evidence sufficient to charge the offender; or (3) a person confesses to the offense. Permits the alleged victim of certain child sex crimes to apply for victim compensation not later than five years after: (1) the state first discovers DNA evidence sufficient to charge the offender; (2) the state first becomes aware of a recording that provides evidence sufficient to charge the offender; or (3) a person confesses to the offense."
jurisdiction: "us/states/in"
legislature: "Indiana General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 109"
citation: "Indiana SB 109 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CRIMES AND OFFENSES generally", "VICTIMS OF CRIME"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Erin Houchin", "Gregory Steuerwald", "Jon Ford", "Michael Crider"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 29
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2020-01-06"
last_action: "2020-03-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/efadaf19-ea43-4015-a49f-32ceb3ba02b2"
source_url: "http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/senate/109"
source_hash: "ae1c4d0c5d35cb6c6ddcf83fddd9aac343007e245afaa6daa0fead772a961417"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-in"]
---

# Indiana SB 109 (2020) — Statute of limitations.

Provides that an otherwise barred offense may be commenced not later than five years from the earlier of the date on which: (1) the state first discovers DNA evidence sufficient to charge the offender; (2) the state first becomes aware of a recording that provides evidence sufficient to charge the offender; or (3) a person confesses to the offense. Permits the alleged victim of certain child sex crimes to apply for victim compensation not later than five years after: (1) the state first discovers DNA evidence sufficient to charge the offender; (2) the state first becomes aware of a recording that provides evidence sufficient to charge the offender; or (3) a person confesses to the offense.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Engrossed Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2020/bills/SB0109/versions/SB0109.04.ENGS)
2. **Engrossed Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2020/bills/SB0109/versions/SB0109.03.ENGS)
3. **Enrolled Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2020/bills/SB0109/versions/SB0109.06.ENRH)
4. **Introduced Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2020/bills/SB0109/versions/SB0109.01.INTR)
5. **Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2020/bills/SB0109/versions/SB0109.05.COMH)
6. **Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2020/bills/SB0109/versions/SB0109.02.COMS)

## Votes

- SB 109 - Steuerwald - 3rd Reading — **94–0** (pass) · lower
- SB 109 - Crider - 3rd Reading — **44–2** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Erin Houchin — primary (person)
- Gregory Steuerwald — primary (person)
- Jon Ford — primary (person)
- Michael Crider — primary (person)
- Aaron Freeman — coauthor (person)
- Heath VanNatter — cosponsor (person)
- Jack Sandlin — coauthor (person)
- James Buck — coauthor (person)
- James Merritt — coauthor (person)
- Karen Engleman — cosponsor (person)
- Lonnie Randolph — coauthor (person)
- Mark Stoops — coauthor (person)
- Michael Young — coauthor (person)
- Mike Bohacek — coauthor (person)
- Robert Cherry — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-06** Authored by Senator Crider
- **2020-01-06** First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2020-01-06** Senator Houchin added as second author
- **2020-01-06** Senator Ford Jon added as third author
- **2020-01-21** Senators Freeman, Randolph, Sandlin, Young M added as coauthors
- **2020-01-23** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-23** Senators Buck, Bohacek, Merritt added as coauthors
- **2020-01-27** Amendment #2 (Freeman) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-passage, amendment-failure`
- **2020-01-27** Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-01-27** Senator Stoops added as coauthor
- **2020-01-28** Placed back on second reading `reading-2`
- **2020-01-30** Amendment #3 (Freeman) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-passage, amendment-failure`
- **2020-01-30** Reread second time: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-02-03** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 112: yeas 44, nays 2 `reading-3, passage`
- **2020-02-03** House sponsor: Representative Steuerwald
- **2020-02-03** Cosponsors: Representatives Cherry, VanNatter, Engleman
- **2020-02-04** Referred to the House
- **2020-02-10** First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2020-02-20** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-24** Second reading: ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-02-25** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 206: yeas 94, nays 0 `reading-3, passage`
- **2020-02-26** Returned to the Senate with amendments `amendment-failure`
- **2020-03-03** Motion to concur filed
- **2020-03-04** Senate concurred in House amendments; Roll Call 326: yeas 48, nays 0 `amendment-failure`
- **2020-03-09** Signed by the President Pro Tempore
- **2020-03-11** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2020-03-11** Signed by the Speaker
- **2020-03-14** Public Law 31
- **2020-03-14** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/efadaf19-ea43-4015-a49f-32ceb3ba02b2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Indiana legislature records).