Judiciary Committee adopts amended Child Victims Act changes capping awards and attorney fees

The House Judiciary Committee on April 2 adopted an amended version of House Bill 13 78, Chairman Wilson’s bill that changes how certain historical child-victim claims will be resolved and limits recoveries for a defined group of previously barred claimants.

The amendment sets maximum recoveries for the targeted universe of past claims at $700,000 against private institutions and $400,000 against public institutions, caps attorney fees at 20% of a settlement and 25% of a judgment for those cases, asks the Supreme Court of Maryland to adopt rules to implement the statute, and requires annual judiciary reporting on settlements and awards. The amendment makes the bill effective June 1, 2025.

Committee supporters said the amendments are intended to create a predictable process for a discrete set of historical claims that were previously barred by limitations rules and to give the judiciary and litigants a framework for resolving them more quickly. Opponents said the changes shrink accountability and undervalue harms to survivors.

Debate and key details - Scope: Committee members repeatedly described the bill as limited to a “universe” of…