PENNSYLVANIA
Reading Eagle
By Liam Migdail-Smith
The push to give victims of child sexual abuse more time to take legal action against their abusers and the organizations that shield them has cleared a major hurdle.
With a 26-1 vote Tuesday, the state House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to overhaul the statutes of limitation for victims of child sex abuse. The bill had languished in the committee for years. The House is expected to consider the plan for final approval next week.
The bill would end time limits for criminal charges and give victims until age 50 to pursue civil cases. Now, the age limits are 50 for criminal cases and 30 for civil cases.
State Rep. Mark Rozzi, who has led the reform push, called the committee’s bill a good but incomplete first step.
He said the plan would help future victims but not those who have already passed the current civil limit. He plans to propose an amendment that would make the changes retroactive, allowing victims who are now between 30 and 50 years old to file civil cases.
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