PENNSYLVANIA
Philly.com
JUNE 30, 2016
by Maria Panaritis and Angela Couloumbis, STAFF WRITERS
HARRISBURG – In a victory for the Catholic Church, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that bars child sex abuse victims from suing their attackers and private institutions for incidents dating back to the 1970s.
In a 49-0 vote, the Republican-led chamber approved a change to the current statute of limitations so that future criminal cases may be brought at any time. But it blocks the filing of civil lawsuits for people abused as children decades ago – a controversial provision that had been approved by the House.
The Senate bill maintained House language permitting victims up to age 50 to bring civil actions against attackers and institutions – up from age 30, as allowed by current law. An amendment backed by Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati and approved two days ago, however, stripped House language that would have made that change retroactive.
Opponents of the measure had said it would harm the Catholic Church by exposing it to liability for actions taken by bishops or priests decades ago, potentially forcing costly payouts that would harm parishes and dioceses.
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