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Committee advances bill extending civil statute‑of‑limitations for child sexual‑abuse victims
Summary
Senate Bill 3‑12 would extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual‑abuse victims (sponsor described changing the cutoff from 18 to 27) to align civil remedies more closely with criminal law changes and patterns of delayed disclosure; the committee passed the bill out of Judiciary.
Senate Bill 3‑12 returned to the Senate Judiciary Committee with the sponsor asking lawmakers to extend the civil statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse.
Sponsor presentation: The bill’s sponsor described prior work in the Legislature to lift criminal time limits and said the civil change — extending the age threshold from 18 to 27 — reflects research showing many victims come forward decades after abuse. The sponsor argued the change is necessary to give survivors time to process trauma and seek civil remedies.
Support: Representatives of advocacy organizations including the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and Western Native Voices testified in favor of SB 3‑12, saying survivors often gain awareness of childhood abuse later in life and that extending the civil window is necessary to provide access to justice and to hold institutions accountable.
Committee action: After proponents spoke and members asked questions, the committee moved to executive action and voted to pass SB 3‑12 out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Representative quote: "We have to give victims the space and time to go through that process...if this bill does nothing more to let abusers know that no matter what, you may be held accountable...then this bill is a success," the sponsor said.
Next step: The bill was passed out of committee and will move to further floor consideration and the Legislature’s transmittal processes.
