Revival Period States
Sexual Abuse Laws & Changes in Claim Window Periods
States that recently changed child sexual abuse laws to allow adult survivors of abuse to file lawsuits are listed below:
​
New York(now closed)
The window for child victims of sexual abuse to file a child sexual abuse lawsuit in New York has CLOSED on August 15, 2021. The New York Child Victims Act allowed victims to pursue claims which enabled tens of thousands of victims to come forward and file claims. When Ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo first passed the Act, the deadline was initially in August 2020. An extension was granted allowing more victims to come forward to receive compensation. This legislation provided a pathway for victims to seek justice, and over 10,000 claims were filed in the State of New York as a result of Child Victim's Act.
​
California(open)
California passed its own version of New York’s Child Victims Act and allowed child victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits. Under this law, survivors also have a three-year “look-back window,” as of January 2020, which allows a victim to bring a claim three years after the statute of limitations has tolled. This look-back window allows courts to triple the amount of damages victims can recover if they can show that a cover-up was involved in the abuse. This is especially relevant to those survivors who fell victim to child sexual abuse during participation in churches, boy scouts, schools, and sports leagues.
​
Colorado(open)
With a few simple strokes of his pen, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law this April something that was decades in the making: removing the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse to sue — no matter how much time has passed. The Law comes into effect in January of 2022 but is not retroactive. Meaning if the state statute of limitations on a case has already expired a new claim could not be brought up. A bittersweet victory. We hoped for a completely retroactive bill but now starting in 2022 there will be so SOL on sexual abuse cases.
​
Louisiana(open)
Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill to eliminate the legal deadline for child sex abuse claims. The bill also creates a 3-year “look back” window for survivors. On June 10, 2021, Louisiana lawmakers in the House and Senate passed a bill for childhood sexual abuse survivors. ... The law went into effect on August 1, 2021
​
Washington D.C.(closed)
Abuse survivors had until May 2021 to file civil claims in Washington D.C.
​
​
North Carolina(closes December 31st 2021)
In October 2019, North Carolina legislators passed the Sexual Assault Fast Reporting and Enforcement Act (SAFE Act). Any person who was abused as a child and was previously barred by the statute of limitations can file a lawsuit until December 31, 2021.
​
New Jersey(now closed)
New Jersey’s Child Victims Act went into effect on December 1, 2019. This Act allows a two-year “revival” period for victims to initiate a claim against both institutions and individuals. Within the first year of the revival period, thousands of victims filed claims. This revival period will end in December
2021.
​
Pennsylvania
Lawmakers Moved Closer to Letting Child Sex Abuse Victims Sue as Adults. In the coming weeks we expect that the State Constitution will be re-written to allow adults abused as children to file claims in a two year "revival period" similar to those currently underway in California, New York and New Jersey. As soon as this happens you will be the first to know!
​
Maine(Open)
Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a bill that removes the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse, allowing them to pursue civil claims against their abusers. Until now, civil remedies could only be pursued for abuse dating back to 1987. Attorney Michael Bigos, who represents victims of sexual abuse in litigation involving the Boy Scouts of America and other organizations, says the average age of adults who report that they were sexually abused as a child is 52.
​
Arizona(now closed)
Arizona opened a nineteen-month “look back” window, allowing past sexual abuse survivors a chance to file a claim for their abuse in 2019. A “look back” window is a period of time where the state eliminates the time limits on filing claims for sexual abuse. This means that no matter your age or if the past statute of limitations considered you “ineligible” to file a claim, you can bring forward your claim during this nineteen-month period of time. Arizona’s “look back” window started June 1, 2019 and ended on December 31, 2020.
​
Arkansas(open)
Arkansas joined states like New Jersey, and California in May as the next state to extend the statute of limitations for cases of childhood sexual abuse.
Senate Bill 676, or the “Justice for Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Abuse Act” will allow Arkansas child sex abuse survivors to file civil claims against those who harmed them past the existing age of 21 up to the age of 55. Additionally, the law creates a retroactive two-year window during which any claim, no matter how old, may be brought.
​
​