April 12, 2016
The Pennsylvania House moved one step closer to voting on a bill that would extend the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases with a preliminary vote on Monday, CBSPhilly reports.
House Bill 1947 would give victims of child sex abuse until age 50 to seek justice against their alleged offenders, compared to age 30, as is current law.
The Allentown Morning Call reported that “the bill would treat future child sex-abuse crimes like murder, which can be prosecuted any time, by dropping a 30-year statute of limitations on when criminal sex-abuse charges can be filed.”
An amendment to remove legal deadlines preventing child abuse victims from suing their alleged offenders and their workplaces, when applicable, was withdrawn Monday with a hope that doing so would “help get the bill quickly to Senate," The Allentown Morning Call reported.
Allentown Morning Call reporter Steve Esack reported that Monday's preliminary vote was not contentious but added that “the bill has a long way to go before becoming law.”
