News Item

April 5, 2019

WHAT: Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, will hold a meeting to vote on House Bills 962 and 963. House Bill 962, sponsored by Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks), would change the civil statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse, allowing childhood victims until age 55 to file suit, and provide for waivers of sovereign and governmental immunity relating to claims of childhood sexual abuse. It would also abolish the criminal statute of limitations for child sexual abuse moving forward. House Bill 963, sponsored by Rep. Jim Gregory (R-Blair), would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to provide for a two-year window in which civil lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse may be filed in court, notwithstanding any otherwise applicable statute of limitations defense.

Other bills to be voted on include House Bill 854, sponsored by Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland), to ensure that the offense of strangulation is as fully incorporated into our body of laws as other similarly violent and threatening offenses; and House Bill 991, sponsored by Rep. Wendi Thomas (R-Bucks), would close a loophole in the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act relating to sexual offenses committed by public officials and employees. Simply, all sex offenses found under Chapter 31 of Title 18 would apply to all public officials and public employees. Further, any public official or public employee who uses his or her office to commit a sex offense, which is graded as a misdemeanor, would forfeit their pension.

WHEN: Monday, April 8, at the Call of the Chair.

WHERE: Room G-50, Irvis Office Building, Capitol Complex, Harrisburg.

LIVE WEBSTREAMING: RepKauffman.com and PAHouseGOP.com.

Media contact: Tricia Lehman, 717.772.9840, tlehman@pahousegop.com