Committee hears bill to extend civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse to age 41

State Representative Sites told the Commerce Committee she is sponsoring House Bill 16 64 to extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse so survivors can seek damages until age 41. Sites framed the bill as an incremental, bipartisan change that would provide survivors additional time to pursue civil claims.

"This simple increase to age 41 will give them 10 more years," Sites said, explaining the bill would prospectively change the age window for bringing civil claims. She said Missouri's civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse has not changed since 2004 and cited data that many survivors take decades to come forward.

Several witnesses testified in support. Elizabeth Phillips, who said she traveled from Dallas, recounted her brother's experience and said existing deadlines forced him to file before he was ready. "We're asking for your support to, at a minimum, take the baby step of extending the civil statute of limitations to 41 prospectively," Phillips said. Jessica Petrie Telemaque of the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse and the Missouri chapter of the National Association of Social Workers urged lawmakers to align policy with research showing survivors often need many years to report abuse.

A mix of groups went on record in support, including the American Tort Reform Association (which said it supported the bill in this instance), the Missouri Civil Justice Reform Coalition, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and insurance-industry representatives. Committee members asked no substantive questions during the hearing; the chair closed the record and the committee concluded the HB 16 64 hearing without recording a committee vote.

Next steps: the bill was heard in committee and testimony was entered into the record; no final committee action was shown in the transcript.