facebook
rss
twitter
  • About
    • Contact
    • Elementary & Secondary Education Department
    • Social Concerns Department
  • Legislative Review
  • Issues
    • Catholic Education
    • Faith and Politics
    • Health Care
    • Life and Dignity
    • Marriage and Family
    • Religious Liberty
    • Social Justice
  • Bishops’ Statements
    • En Español
  • Resources
    • Bulletin Inserts
    • Church Documents
    • PA Catholic Statistics
    • Related Sites
    • Send A Letter to The Editor
  • Subscribe
    • RSS Feeds
    • Via E-mail
  • Contact
  • Podcast

Senate Judiciary Committee Amends SoL Bill, No Retroactivity

June 28, 2016
by Hill
child abuse, HB 1947, statute of limitations
Comments are off

Update: On June 30, the Senate voted 49-0 in favor of the amended House Bill 1947 described below. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for concurrence.

The Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee took action on House Bill 1947 today. With an 8-4 vote the committee amended the bill to strip the provision that would retroactively nullify the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases from decades ago. The committee cited conflicts with Pennsylvania’s state constitution as the reason for the change.

The committee maintained the provision that will prospectively eliminate the criminal statute of limitations. The amendment also prospectively allows abuse survivors to sue either public or private entities under an equal standard of proof until they reach age 50, and allows survivors to sue in certain cases beyond age 50.

The amended bill passed out of the committee unanimously and is expected to be considered on the Senate floor this week. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference will review the details of the amended bill to determine what impact it may have.

In a statement, the PCC reiterated that no matter the final resolution of the legislation, the Catholic Church will keep its sincere commitment to the emotional and spiritual well-being of individuals who have been impacted by the crime of childhood sexual abuse, no matter how long ago the crime was committed.

No institution is more acutely aware of the harm, pain and anger caused by child sexual abuse than the Roman Catholic Church. The Church has repeatedly acknowledged its past mistakes and its role in the ongoing suffering experienced by survivors and their loved ones.

For more than a decade, the Catholic community has consistently enforced strict safe environment policies and offered assistance to survivors and their families.  While recognizing and respecting that every individual must take his or her own personal journey to heal, the Church is committed to offering assistance.

  • All survivors of abuse are offered assistance no matter how long ago the crime occurred.
  • Each diocese has trained and deployed professional victim assistance staff to provide a response that is compassionate, supportive, and sensitive to the needs of survivors.
  • Every diocese has an office for victim/survivor assistance, which provides a range of support, including :
    •  Counseling and other forms of therapy for survivors and their families
    • Addressing barriers to participation in therapy, such as child care and transportation
    • Vocational assistance
    •  Resources about child sexual abuse support services in the community
    • Financial assistance for medication
    • Referrals and payments for outpatient therapy and related psychiatric services
    •  Assessment and case management assistance for social services resources
    • Pastoral support and counseling
    • Facilitation of meetings with the Archbishop or Bishop

To date, Pennsylvania’s dioceses have spent more than $16.6 million on victim/survivor assistance services to provide compassionate support to individuals and families. Tens of millions more has been negotiated in financial settlements with survivors who sought that resolution. We will continue to offer support and assistance as long as it is needed. Read more about the Church’s support for childhood sexual abuse survivors.

Send a message to your state Senator about House Bill 1947.

About the Author
Social Share
  • google-share

News From Around PA

  • Beloved chaplain’s Mass card saved police officer, says sergeant
  • After shooting, cardinal urges unity to ‘build path to safety and peace’
  • Custodian -- Saint Catherine Laboure Parish & St. Louise de Marillac School, Upper St. Clair
  • Teacher Openings 2022-2023 Diocese of Pittsburgh
  • Diocese of Scranton Statement Regarding Monsignor Michael J. Delaney
  • Jubilation greets monumental Supreme Court abortion ruling
Click To Read More

Post Archives

@·
now

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter Like on Twitter Twitter

Recent Posts

This Week in PA Catholic Schools: 7-1-22
Jul 01, 2022
Our Series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Breastfeeding - 9 stories
Jun 30, 2022
This Week in PA Catholic Schools: 6-24-22; Sports
Jun 24, 2022

All Issues

  • Catholic Education
  • Faith and Politics
  • Health Care
  • Life and Dignity
  • Marriage and Family
  • Religious Liberty
  • Social Justice

banner

Sign up to join the Catholic Advocacy Network today!

CClogo© 2021 Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Bookmark and Share Site by Halibut Blue® | Login