PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com
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.
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