Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3103, the ``Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022,'' bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations for victims of federal child sexual abuse offenses to file civil claims against their abusers in federal court.

This legislation would allow survivors of more than a dozen federal child sex abuse offenses to have their day in court no matter the time it takes them to disclose their abuse.

Oftentimes victims of offenses, such as aggravated sexual abuse, sex trafficking, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child pornography require years of treatment to process and disclose their victimization.

This is particularly true for young victims of these despicable crimes, who continue to process trauma inflicted upon them well into adulthood--only to be barred by statutes of limitations that prevent them from holding their abusers accountable when they are able to name them.

We have come to understand the effects of fear, depression, and shame that result from the trauma of sexual abuse, and the power dynamics between child victims and adult abusers, that explain why victims may not immediately report abuse--or delay disclosure for decades.

Although we extended the statute of limitations in 2018 for federal civil child sex abuse claims for damages until the victim reaches age 28 or until 10 years after discovery of the offense, that extension does not reflect current findings on the delayed disclosure of child sex abuse.

A study by the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at The University of Texas found that, in my home state of Texas, there are almost 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking, while data from CHILD USA suggests that almost 90 percent of child sexual abuse goes unreported.

Countless examples of delayed disclosure--by adults victimized as children--fill the headlines of newspapers, televised news reports, and social media posts from every corner of the country.

One study of more than 1,000 survivors found that the average age of survivors at the time of disclosure was roughly 52 years old.

Historically, statutes of limitations have silenced victims and favored their abusers--allowing them to escape accountability.

However, since 2002, 49 states and 2 territories have amended their laws to extend, eliminate, or revive civil statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse.

Congress must take note of the available research, data, and trends before us, making certain that federal law does not deny survivors the ability to have their day in court or force victims into court before they are psychologically ready to do so, causing further victimization and trauma.

Instead, we are duty bound to ensure survivors of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking can seek justice against their abusers regardless of the timing and, through successful litigation, have the means to access life-sustaining treatment and other services necessary to make them whole.

Justice should never be denied to any person in this country, especially victims who have been robbed of their innocence and childhoods.

S. 3103 is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that will provide a pathway to justice and healing for many victims and survivors while holding abusers accountable for the harms they

cause. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3103) to amend title 18, United States Code, to eliminate the statute of limitations for the filing of a civil claim for any person who, while a minor, was a victim of a violation of section 1589, 1590, 1591, 2241(c), 2242, 2243, 2251, 2251A, 2252, 2252A, 2260, 2421, 2422, or 2423 of such title.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3103.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 3103, the Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022 is bipartisan legislation that would ensure that survivors of child sex abuse are not barred by a statute of limitations when seeking civil damages in court.

Data suggests that 86 percent of child sexual abuse goes unreported. Also common is delayed disclosure, or the tendency of survivors of child sexual abuse to wait many years before disclosing abuse to others.

This is because survivors of sexual abuse often take a long time to process their trauma, and many survivors who were abused as a child may not even recognize the abuse they suffered until much later in life.

Unfortunately, because survivors of child sexual abuse often delay reporting, any statute of limitations may prevent survivors from accessing justice and seeking damages in civil court.

The current Federal civil remedy statute for victims of child sexual abuse includes a statute of limitations requiring all claims to be filed within 10 years of the injury or not later than 10 years after the victim turns 18 years old.

These statutes of limitation can serve to protect the abusers and enable them to continue to exploit their power by allowing victims' claims to expire.

This bill will enable survivors who are victims of Federal child sex abuse offenses, including aggravated sexual abuse, sex trafficking, human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual exploitation, to seek civil damages in Federal court regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross) for joining Senator Durbin in introducing this important legislation and recognizing that the challenges survivors face in reporting the trauma they have experienced should not bar them from accessing justice in the courts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, S. 3103 is bipartisan legislation that would ensure that survivors of child sex abuse are not barred by a statute of limitations when seeking justice in the courts.

This bill recognizes that many victims of child sexual abuse delay reporting the trauma they have experienced. Therefore, it will enable survivors who are victims of more than a dozen Federal sex abuse offenses to seek civil damages in Federal court regardless of the time that has passed since the abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to allow the District of Columbia to receive funding and other benefits under the Coastal Zone Management Act. I am pleased to offer this companion legislation to a bill introduced by the Congresswoman from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Few of us realize that 70 percent of the District is located within the coastal plain. Similar to my State of Delaware, sea level rise, upstream sources of water, and degraded infrastructure mean that the District could experience serious future cleanup and repair costs due to flooding, including damage to Federal property, which makes up almost 30 percent of the District. Since 1950, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, reports there has been a 343-percent increase in nuisance flooding in

the District. Since 2006, D.C. has experienced two 100-year flooding events. Scientists predict that tides on the Atlantic coast could rise 2 to 4 feet by the year 2100, causing as much as $7 billion worth of property damage in the District, which would regularly be under threat by floodwaters. This fact was highlighted by a study released by the nonprofit Climate Central last week. Needless to say, these events will become more and more common due to climate change and sea level rise.

The District of Columbia would use funding from the Coastal Zone Management Program for flood risk planning and environmental restoration to prevent and mitigate future flood damage. At the same time, this work would help to restore and conserve the District's coastal resources such as habitat, fisheries, and endangered species.

If included in the Coastal Zone Management Program, the District of Columbia would be eligible for $1 million or more of Federal funding annually to assist in coastal flood-control projects, to combat non- point source water pollution, and to develop special area management plans in areas experiencing environmental justice and/or flooding issues.

The National Coastal Zone Management Program, housed in NOAA, was established through the passage of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. At the time, Congress recognized the need to manage the effects of increased growth in the Nation's coastal zone, which includes jurisdictions bordering the oceans and the Great Lakes.

There are currently 34 jurisdictional coastal zone management programs, including both States and territories. In order for the District of Columbia to participate in the program, Congress must pass this amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act that would include the District under the definition of a ``coastal State.''

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill I am introducing today be printed in the Record following my statement.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to allow the District of Columbia to receive funding and other benefits under the Coastal Zone Management Act. I am pleased to offer this companion legislation to a bill introduced by the Congresswoman from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Few of us realize that 70 percent of the District is located within the coastal plain. Similar to my State of Delaware, sea level rise, upstream sources of water, and degraded infrastructure mean that the District could experience serious future cleanup and repair costs due to flooding, including damage to Federal property, which makes up almost 30 percent of the District. Since 1950, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, reports there has been a 343-percent increase in nuisance flooding in

the District. Since 2006, D.C. has experienced two 100-year flooding events. Scientists predict that tides on the Atlantic coast could rise 2 to 4 feet by the year 2100, causing as much as $7 billion worth of property damage in the District, which would regularly be under threat by floodwaters. This fact was highlighted by a study released by the nonprofit Climate Central last week. Needless to say, these events will become more and more common due to climate change and sea level rise.

The District of Columbia would use funding from the Coastal Zone Management Program for flood risk planning and environmental restoration to prevent and mitigate future flood damage. At the same time, this work would help to restore and conserve the District's coastal resources such as habitat, fisheries, and endangered species.

If included in the Coastal Zone Management Program, the District of Columbia would be eligible for $1 million or more of Federal funding annually to assist in coastal flood-control projects, to combat non- point source water pollution, and to develop special area management plans in areas experiencing environmental justice and/or flooding issues.

The National Coastal Zone Management Program, housed in NOAA, was established through the passage of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. At the time, Congress recognized the need to manage the effects of increased growth in the Nation's coastal zone, which includes jurisdictions bordering the oceans and the Great Lakes.

There are currently 34 jurisdictional coastal zone management programs, including both States and territories. In order for the District of Columbia to participate in the program, Congress must pass this amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act that would include the District under the definition of a ``coastal State.''

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill I am introducing today be printed in the Record following my statement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of the Judiciary Committee for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am heartened that today we will vote to send this bill to the President's desk to guarantee justice for victims of child sex abuse.

Experts estimate that more than 85 percent of child sex abuse goes unreported. Kids experiencing abuse face a variety of the barriers to reporting. Often they don't know how to recognize abuse, they don't know how to talk about their experiences, or they don't have a trusted adult they can contact.

Even when survivors do report their abuse, their experiences often fail to reach the people in the justice system who can stop the predator. For all of these reasons, the process of disclosure of abuse can take decades. The average age of reporting child sex abuse is 52 years old.

Tragically, statutes of limitations often prevent survivors who disclose their abuse as adults from getting their day in court. But justice systems are slowly beginning to understand how delayed disclosure impacts access to justice.

In the past two decades, 48 States and Washington D.C., have amended child sex abuse laws to expand or eliminate statutes of limitations. Congress previously eliminated the Federal criminal statute of limitations for child sex abuse and sex trafficking and slightly lengthened the Federal civil statute of limitations.

However, this short extension of the civil statute of limitations does not reflect current data on just how long most survivors delay disclosure of their abuse.

All survivors deserve access to justice no matter how long it takes them to talk about the trauma they have suffered.

Today, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience sex abuse before their 18th birthday. I have heard about far too many cases of child sex abuse in my home State of North Carolina.

A case currently before the North Carolina Supreme Court involves the wrestling team at a Gaston County high school where teenage athletes were sexually abused by their coach.

While the coach was convicted and sentenced to decades in prison, the athletes were initially unable to sue in civil court because of the statute of limitations.

This case is currently before the North Carolina Supreme Court because a three-judge panel ruled that the State law opening a window for adult survivors of sexual abuse was unconstitutional.

We cannot provide effective remedies to survivors while the Federal civil statute of limitations remains in place.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representative Swalwell, Representative Salazar, and Representative Reschenthaler for leading this effort with me in the House, as well as Senator Durbin and Senator Blackburn for leading this bill in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the bill.