PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Review
KEVIN ZWICK | Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017
The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to reform the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases.
The bill could reignite tensions between the House and Senate in the new session. The two chambers disagreed on similar legislation last year.
The new bill would give prosecutors more time to file criminal charges against an alleged abuser. Current law prohibits criminal charges once the victim reaches 50 years old.
Individuals also would have more time to file civil lawsuits against an alleged defendant, co-conspirator or anyone who failed to report child sex abuse, and reduces the legal threshold to sue a public institution from gross negligence to negligence. Current law gives victims until the age of 30 to file a lawsuit.
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