A Massachusetts bill that would strike down the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases and allow civil lawsuits at any time could still pass, according to state Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Salem, one of the bill's sponsors.
Current law bars victims of child sexual abuse who are older than 53 from suing in civil court or if it's been more than seven years since the survivor realized the abuse harmed them.
Lovely's bill, S.2932, would allow survivors to bring a civil lawsuit no matter how much time has passed.
"It's a life of trauma. And so why 53? Why isn't it at 63? I mean, I don't think there should be any age [limit]," she said.
The state Legislature is currently in informal session when only one vote against a bill could send it to a committee to study, which would essentially kill it. But Lovely said she hopes the bill will get to the House floor.
And she has another tactic. If an economic development bond bill is voted on this year, it would require a special session with a roll call vote.
If that happens, Lovely said, "I will push to put the statute of limitations bill into that formal session."
