Briggs leads newly formed Judiciary Committee

HARRISBURG, March 1 – The House Judiciary Committee was formed in Harrisburg today and will be led by Majority Chairman Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery.

In its first order of business, the committee immediately met to consider three bills to provide victims of childhood sexual abuse a window to justice. The committee amended Senate Bill 1, by removing language in the bill not related to the constitutional amendment to suspend the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil actions. The committee also approved H.B. 1 and H.B. 2, identical language that passed the House in Special Session a week ago.

“The people of Pennsylvania asked for recourse for victims of sexual assault – not voter ID or onerous changes to unrelated Pennsylvania regulation codes,” Briggs said. “I’m keeping our public pledge to survivors -- with no strings attached. It is shameful to make that commitment contingent on partisan policy agendas; survivors have waited long enough for justice.”

The committee will hold a public hearing on the window to justice for survivors of child sex abuse at 10 a.m. Monday in the Majority Caucus Room in the Capitol.