Pennsylvania State Senate Passes Bill Modifying Statute of Limitations on Child Sex Abuse Cases

By Charles Thompson
PennLive
February 1, 2017

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/pennsylvania_state_senate_pass.html

It's on to the House for the latest version of a bill to extend statute of limitations for victims of child sex abuse.

The Pennsylvania Senate has voted 48-0 to pass a bill extending the paths to justice for future victims of child sex abuse.

The bill, which essentially reopens an old debate with the state House in the new legislative session, would give child victims until age 50 to bring civil lawsuits against abusers or those employers who were allegedly negligent in failing to stop them.

At present, the window to sue expires at age 30.

It would also eliminate any statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions for child sexual abuse.

The key question now is whether the Senate-passed bill - which only applies to future cases - can be reconciled with the House, which also added a two-year window for past victims to file suits under the new deadlines.

Supporters of the Senate bill, including the Roman Catholic Church, school operators and the insurance companies who cover them, have argued such a retroactive window is unconstitutional.

Opponents have argued the Senate's changes don't do enough to address issues that have leapt into the public's consciousness across Pennsylvania through the last five years, reopening old wounds for many that need to be dealt with.

To emphasize the point that Wednesday's vote is really only a conversation starter on what was one of the Legislature's thorniest issues last session, the Senate passage came without a single word of debate.

Contact: cthompson@pennlive.com