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Sponsor argues eliminating civil time limits for child sexual‑abuse suits will let survivors seek justice later in life
Summary
Sen. Shane Morigeau urged the committee to remove the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, citing national data and survivor testimony; proponents said trauma often delays disclosure and civil remedies should be available at any age; the committee tabled the bill in executive action.
Sen. Shane Morigeau presented Senate Bill 312 to eliminate the civil statute of limitations for claims of child sexual abuse, arguing that survivors commonly disclose decades after the abuse. He cited national data indicating many survivors disclose in their 40s or later and noted that prior Montana extensions (to age 27) still leave many adults without access to civil relief.
Advocacy groups including Western Native Voices and the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence supported the bill. Witnesses described delayed disclosure, the psychological barriers survivors face, and the view that civil remedies should not have an expiration date for crimes that occurred in childhood. Proponents also argued the civil change mirrors criminal‑law adjustments that removed criminal statutes of limitation in many settings.
Some committee members voiced concern about fairness and the practical difficulty of defending claims decades after alleged conduct. Representative Baum and Representative Sharp expressed reservations about removing time limits entirely; Representative Cunningham, a pediatrician, supported lifting barriers for survivors. After debate in executive action the committee voted to table SB 312.
Result: The bill was moved to the table during committee executive action; the transcript records both strong survivor advocacy and concern from some members about evidentiary fairness for very‑old claims.
