Legislative Package Marks the Most Significant Changes in Decades

(Harrisburg, PA) – Today, Gov. Tom Wolf enacted a series of reform measures, that marks the most significant changes in decades to Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations laws for child sex abuse cases.

Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance Issues Statement on Statute of Limitations Reforms

Legislative Package Marks the Most Significant Changes in Decades

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Today, Gov. Tom Wolf enacted a series of reform measures, that marks the most significant changes in decades to Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations laws for child sex abuse cases.

Angela Liddle, President and CEO, of the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, the state’s leader in child abuse prevention, issued the following statement: 

“This is a historic day in the Commonwealth, particularly for organizations such as ours whose sole mission is to prevent child abuse. For far too long, our society and legislature remained silent when it came to child sexual abuse and the prosecution of those crimes. Our leaders finally came together in a unified voice to declare that child predators will no longer be protected under archaic laws. The passage of these measures would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the thoughtful and thorough work of the Grand Jury last summer, and
the courageous adult victims who publicly demanded reform. I applaud the Governor and our legislature  for their work thus far, and I am confident that this reform package is a large
step in the right direction to further protect victims of child abuse—both past and future.”     

Under the new measures that Gov. Wolf signed into law, future victims of child sexual abuse will: 

• have an extended period of time (up to age 55) to sue their alleged perpetrators and the institutions which hired them;
• removed the statute of limitations to file criminal charges;
• eliminate any confidentiality agreements which were signed by victims with institutions  or organizations in an effort to prevent them from speaking with law enforcement; and
• provide prosecutors with the ability to file felony charges for a mandated reporter’s continued failure to report child abuse.

Many of these reforms were specific recommendations outlined in the August 2018 Grand Jury report on clergy sex abuse in the Catholic Church that came as a result from Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s investigation.

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ABOUT PFSA: The Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance prevents child abuse and protects children from harm by helping parents learn positive parenting techniques, educating professionals and volunteers who work with children to recognize and report child abuse, and helping community members learn how they can play a positive role in keeping children safe.

To learn more about our programs, schedule training or make a donation, please visit pa-fsa.org, or call 800-448-4906.