Rozzi and others call on Senate Republican leadership to allow vote on statute of limitations

HARRISBURG, April 3 – State Rep. Mark Rozzi, joined by other senior state leaders, will host a news conference calling on the Pennsylvania Senate’s Republican leadership to allow an up-or-down vote on legislation that would extend Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors.

Also in attendance will be national victims’ rights advocate and constitutional law scholar Marci Hamilton. Hamilton is chief executive officer of Child USA, an interdisciplinary think tank to prevent child abuse and neglect.

The press conference will take place at 10:30 am Monday, April 4 at the Capitol Rotunda.

Media coverage is invited.

Rozzi’s House Bill 951 would provide a retroactive two-year window for victims abused during childhood to file civil lawsuits, no matter how long ago the abuse took place. It also would partially lift sovereign immunity protection for public institutions in sexual abuse cases, holding both public and private institutions accountable.

The bill passed the House by a margin of 149-52 on April 7, 2021. Fourteen days later, it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 11-3. It has not advanced from there despite the advocacy of hundreds of abuse survivors, including Rozzi himself. In 2019, Rozzi led the successful effort to abolish Pennsylvania’s criminal statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse.

Questions may be directed to Rep. Mark Rozzi at 717-783-3290.