In the final hours of the last voting day at the capital in Harrisburg, a bill to reform the Statute of Limitations for child sex crimes has stalled in the Senate. The earliest this can be voted on again is January.
Wednesday was the final scheduled session day at the state capitol. And that means it was the last day to move a bill to change the Statute of Limitations for child sex crimes.
It was a back-and-forth day in the Senate as they work to move a bill that increases the age survivors of child sex crimes have to file a civil suit, from 30 to 50 and eliminates the statute for criminal prosecutions.
But the center of debate has been an amendment that would open up a two-year window for victims who are past the Statute of Limitation and to file a civil suit against their abuser.
That amendment passed the House last month, but Wednesday was the first day the Senate has taken it up with those changes. Some, including Senate President pro tempore Joe Scarnati, argue the window is unconstitutional.
We heard that there were talks in the Senate to make the window only for perpetrators, and not institutions. Also there were talks of the possibility of removing the window altogether, which victims advocates we spoke to said isn’t acceptable.