Survivors Of Childhood Sex Abuse On Current Proposed Texas Legislation

March 20, 2023- The 88th session of the Texas State Legislature has convened, currently 3 House Bills and one Senate Bill have been filed. These bills concern the reform of the civil Statue of Limitations for childhood sex abuse crimes.

Currently the House Bills  HB206HB3533 and HB4601 are in the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, The Senate Bill SB751 is currently in the Senate State Affairs Committee. Survivors Of Childhood Sex Abuse (SCSA) is fighting to reform the statute of limitations for sex crimes against children. The most important point for SCSA is not the removal of the statue of limitations, but those who it will apply to.

SCSA has stated to have adopted a grading system for the current bills within legislation and has graded the bills from A-F and has given to the public their “Report Card”. Currently these grades are:

  • HB206A – Not only does this bill eliminate the Statute of Limitations for sex crimes against our children, but it has a retroactive feature, giving current victims a path to justice.
  • SB751A – Is a Senate companion bill, and is identical to HB206.
  • HB3533C – Addresses the Statute of Limitations issue, but does not have a retroactive feature or “Lookback Window.” We feel this bill could achieve a higher grade through legislative amendments, or the inclusion of a retroactive feature, or at the minimum, a limited “Lookback Window.”
  • HB4601F – Protects the Institutions and Organizations that must be held legally accountable for their crimes. It also proposes background checks and safety programs at these entities that, frankly we consider extremely weak. We do not feel this bill can achieve a higher grade through any means, and is lobbied by the institutions and organizations that are responsible for the rape of our children in the first place.

The SCSA is an advocacy and support organization for victims and survivors of childhood sex abuse. SCSA is a nonprofit Organization. The Organization hopes to empower Survivors of Childhood Sex Abuse with resources and support to self-advocate and reclaim their life’s potential.

To learn more about SCSA click: SCSA.org

Author: Ethan Klein

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