Bill > HB883

This bill modifies Missouri's legal provisions regarding civil actions for childhood sexual abuse by expanding the definition of actionable offenses and removing time limitations for filing such lawsuits. Specifically, the bill broadens the list of criminal statutes that can be considered "childhood sexual abuse" by adding several additional specific sexual offense codes, including new sections related to sexual misconduct. The bill eliminates the previous statute of limitations that required victims to file a lawsuit within ten years of turning 21 or within three years of discovering their injury, and instead allows victims to bring legal action at any time, regardless of when the abuse occurred. This change applies retroactively to actions commenced on or after August 28, 2004, meaning even cases that would have previously been barred by time restrictions could now potentially be pursued. The bill defines "injury" or "illness" broadly to include both physical and psychological harm, explicitly noting that psychological injury does not require accompanying physical injury. By removing time constraints and expanding the definition of actionable offenses, the bill aims to provide greater legal recourse for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB883&year=2025&code=R