Bill > H1833

This bill enhances legal remedies for survivors of childhood sexual abuse by making several key changes to Massachusetts state law. The legislation removes existing time limitations and damage caps for legal claims involving sexual abuse of minors, allowing survivors to file lawsuits at any time after the alleged abuse occurred, regardless of when the acts originally took place. Specifically, the bill eliminates the $100,000 damages limitation for claims against public entities, removes statutes of limitations for tort actions involving sexual abuse of a minor, and allows claims against entities that negligently supervised abusers. The bill also expands the scope of actionable claims to include not just direct sexual abuse, but also negligent supervision that contributed to abuse. Importantly, for historical cases that would have previously been time-barred, survivors can still seek damages, but only if they can prove negligence on the part of the institution or organization that employed or supervised the abuser. These provisions aim to provide greater legal recourse and accountability for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, recognizing the long-lasting psychological impact of such trauma and the challenges survivors face in coming forward.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1833