State Senate passes constitutional amendment that would impact victims of child sex abuse

Fifteen months after the bombshell grand jury report into sex abuse inside Catholic dioceses throughout Pennsylvania, legislators in Harrisburg moved one step closer to revamping the state’s statute of limitations.

>>READ: Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese not allowed to use children's fund to compensate victims

Republican and Democratic sources tell Channel 11 the full Senate voted on a constitutional amendment that would open a two-year window for victims of child sex abuse to sue their perpetrators, even if the statute of limitations has expired. That vote passed Wednesday night.

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Last fall, Republican leaders in the Senate blocked similar legislation, claiming the window was unconstitutional. But that opposition appears to have dissipated with the proposed amendment.

The PA Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of dioceses statewide, announced they are neutral on the bill.

Now that the Senate passed the bill, the full House and Senate would have to vote on the same bill in the next legislative session -- which begins in 2021.

If both chambers pass it again, the proposed constitutional amendment would be on the ballot for voters as early as the spring or fall of 2021.

To view the main bill in its entirety, click here.

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