Sponsors (10)
The bill greatly expands survivors' access to justice by removing time limits and encourages states to adopt reforms with federal support, but it also raises substantial retrospective liability and implementation costs, potential prosecution and fairness challenges, and federalism concerns.
Survivors of child sexual abuse (children and adults abused as children) can sue and prosecutors can pursue criminal child sex offenses without time limits, increasing access to compensation and the ability to hold perpetrators accountable.
States that update their laws to comply retain eligibility for federal CAPTA child‑protection grants, helping preserve federal funding for investigations, prevention, and child‑welfare programs.
The bill provides federal assistance (including a $20M/year authorization) to help states change laws and implement victim‑supporting reforms, reducing some implementation costs and facilitating transitions.
Reviving long‑time‑barred civil claims and removing civil limits could expose institutions, insurers, and taxpayers to substantial retroactive liabilities and large increases in litigation and settlement costs.
States and local governments may face meaningful administrative, legal, and program costs to rewrite statutes, defend new or revived litigation, and implement required reforms—potentially requiring new funding or raising taxes.
Eliminating criminal statutes of limitations for older cases can complicate prosecutions because of lost evidence and faded witness memory, increasing the risk of unfair trials, wrongful accusations, or acquittals.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Ties federal child‑welfare grant eligibility to State repeal of statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse/exploitation/sex trafficking and funds State legal reforms and revival windows.
Introduced September 23, 2025 by Suhas Subramanyam · Last progress September 23, 2025
Requires States to remove time limits (statutes of limitation) on civil and criminal claims for child sexual abuse, exploitation, and child sex trafficking as a condition for certain federal child‑welfare grants, and creates a new HHS grant program to help States change their laws or revive previously time‑barred civil claims. Provides funding and a formula to award States more money the more reforms they adopt, and includes a minimum revival window for old civil claims; one technical change to a victims’ grant statute is also included but its effect is unclear from the text.