I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4860 
To amend the Child Abuse Protection and Treatment Act to incentivize 
States to eliminate civil and criminal statutes of limitations and revive 
time-barred civil claims for child abuse cases, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2021 
Ms. WEXTON (for herself and Ms. SALAZAR) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Child Abuse Protection and Treatment Act 
to incentivize States to eliminate civil and criminal stat-
utes of limitations and revive time-barred civil claims 
for child abuse cases, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Statutes of Limitation 
for Child Sexual Abuse Reform Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Child sexual abuse is a pernicious crime 
perpetrated through threats of violence, intimidation, 
manipulation, and abuse of power. 
(2) The prevalence of child sexual abuse is dif-
ficult to determine because it is often not reported; 
however, data suggests that child sexual abuse is a 
public health epidemic that affects 1 in 5 girls, and 
1 in 13 boys in the Nation. 
(3) The prevalence of child sex trafficking is 
difficult to estimate, but NCMEC estimates that at 
least 100,000 children are victims of trafficking, 
with some estimates as high as 2 or 3 million chil-
dren. 
(4) It is estimated that there are approximately 
9 million cases of child abuse and exploitation re-
ported every year in the United States. 
(5) Historically, 90 percent of child victims 
never go to the authorities and the vast majority of 
claims have expired before the victims were capable 
of getting to court. 
(6) Due to the subversive nature of this crime, 
the average age of disclosure of child sexual abuse 
does not occur until a victim is over 52 years old. 
(7) Because many State statutes of limitations 
applicable to laws involving child sexual abuse fail to 
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give victims adequate time to come forward and re-
port their abuse, numerous victims are unable to 
seek fair and just remediation against their abusers. 
(8) Due to the especially heinous nature of 
child sexual abuse, it is imperative that perpetrators 
of this crime are punished, prevented from re-
offending, and victims have the opportunity to see 
their abusers brought to justice. 
(9) The negative effects over a survivor’s life-
time generate many costs that impact the Nation’s 
health care, education, criminal justice, and welfare 
systems, with the economic burden of child sexual 
abuse estimated at nearly $2 trillion annually. 
SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF STATE STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS 
FOR CHILD ABUSE CASES. 
(a) CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT 
ACT.—Section 107(e)(1) of the Child Abuse Prevention 
and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106c(e)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) elimination of State civil and criminal 
statutes of limitations laws for child sexual 
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abuse, exploitation, and sex trafficking, and 
adoption of laws reviving previously time-barred 
civil claims for child sexual abuse, exploitation, 
and sex trafficking.’’. 
(b) SPECIAL RULE.—Section 111(b) of the Child 
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 
5106g(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) CHILD
SEXUAL
ABUSE
AND
EXPLOI-
TATION.—For purposes of section 107(e)(1)(D), the 
term ‘child sexual abuse and exploitation’ shall in-
clude an act or a failure to act on the part of a par-
ent, caretaker, or any other person.’’. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR ELIMINATING CERTAIN STATUTES OF 
LIMITATION. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services may make grants to States that are eligi-
ble to receive an award under section 107 of the Child 
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106c) 
achieve one or more of the following reforms: 
(1) The elimination of all State civil statutes of 
limitations for claims of, related to, or arising from, 
child sexual abuse, exploitation, and sex trafficking, 
against perpetrators, other individuals, and public 
and private entities. 
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(2) The elimination of all State criminal stat-
utes of limitations for all felony and misdemeanor 
sex crimes against children, including sexual abuse, 
exploitation, and trafficking, and for incohate of-
fenses related to such sex crimes, including attempt, 
conspiracy, solicitation, and aiding and abetting. 
(3) The revival of previously time-barred civil 
claims for child sexual abuse, exploitation, and sex 
trafficking against perpetrators, other individuals, 
and public and private entities, which, at a min-
imum, permits previously time-barred claims a 2- 
year period or until a victim reaches age 55, which-
ever is longer. 
(b) ALLOCATION.—Of the funds made available to 
carry out this section— 
(1) 25 percent shall be for States that achieve 
one of the reforms described in paragraphs (1) 
through (3) of subsection (a); 
(2) 35 percent shall be for States that achieve 
two of such reforms; and 
(3) 40 percent shall be for States that achieve 
three of such reforms. 
An award under this section shall be in addition to any 
funds for which the State is otherwise eligible to receive 
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under section 107 of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106c). 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2029. 
SEC. 5. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 
Section 1404A of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 
(34 U.S.C. 20103), by striking ‘‘section 109’’ and insert 
‘‘section 107’’. 
Æ 
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