PENNSYLVANIA
CBS Philly
September 27, 2016 By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG (CBS) — It appears a standoff may be taking shape between the state House and Senate over legislation to give adult victims of child sex abuse more time to seek justice.
The bill would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases. In civil cases, the measure would also eliminate the statute of limitations for most individual defendants, and lengthen the time a victim would have to sue an organization. As it stands now, those provisions would only apply going forward.
The House passed a bill that allowed for retroactive lawsuits. But the Senate, citing constitutionality concerns, removed it. Now House leaders have indicated retroactivity will likely be put back into the bill.
Jennifer Kocher is a spokeswoman for leaders of the Republican Senate majority and said many things are being lost.
“All of these good provisions of the bill are being lost in the firestorm of controversy being swept up over one provision.”
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