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House committee releases bill to eliminate civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee voted to release House Bill 75, which would remove the civil statute of limitations for claims of childhood sexual abuse and allow survivors to sue institutions and individuals regardless of when the abuse occurred. Advocates and survivors urged passage; insurance and fiscal impacts were discussed.
House Bill 75, introduced by Representative Dukes, was released from the House Judiciary Committee after testimony from survivors, advocates and policy experts who said removing the civil statute of limitations would allow long-delayed claims to be heard.
The bill would amend Title 10 of the Delaware Code to remove the time limit that currently bars many civil suits seeking damages for childhood sexual abuse. "This would mean that statute of limitations would never again be a defense for an entity or an individual who caused the sexual abuse of the child," said Marcy Hamilton, founder and CEO of Child USA and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, during committee testimony.
Supporters told the committee the change restores access to civil courts for survivors who often wait decades to report abuse. "The only way to empower the…
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