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Statute of limitations overhaul passes Pennsylvania House

HARRISBURG — UPDATE (9/25/18): A bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal cases and open a two-year window allowing victims to file civil lawsuits passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Tuesday.

The bill that would allow victims to file civil suits against their alleged abusers within the two-year window -- even if the statute of limitations is expired -- moves on to the Senate.

ORIGINAL STORY: The push to reform Pennsylvania's statute of limitations laws is underway in Harrisburg.

On Monday, the House of Representatives is expected to pass a bill that would remove the criminal statute of limitations and open a two-year window for victims to file civil lawsuits against their alleged abusers.

The bill gained momentum after the grand jury report into sexual abuse at dioceses across Pennsylvania was released last month, and is also gaining support from victims of former U.S. Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

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"It doesn't just happen in a Catholic Church, it doesn't just happen in sports. It happens all over the world for any reason people can come up with," Kayla Spicher, one of Nassar's victims, said.

The civil window is already facing resistance from the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania, who say the amount of lawsuits could bankrupt the church.

Spicher along with fellow victim Katie Lovellette and attorney Jamie White traveled from Michigan to Harrisburg to help push for changes to the statute of limitation laws in Pennsylvania.

"Our legislative efforts aren't designed to just deal with the grand jury report on the Catholic Church, it's across the board," Rep. Dan Miller, (D) Mt. Lebanon, said.

"We want to make sure the people that have had serious issues and have been violated are protected so we want to make sure that language is as tight as humanly possible," Rep. Aaron Bernstine, (R) Ellwood City, said.

The bill is facing resistance from Catholic bishops who fear it will bankrupt the church.

But victims like Lovellette say they're willing to tell their story if it will help others.

“I have daughters. I have to show them by example how to stand up for what you believe in and help make change in the world,” she said.

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