Connecticut Legislators Gut Provisions for Older Survivors

The Connecticut Senate voted out a Committee Version of SB 3, a bill that originally included provisions designed to provide older victims of childhood sexual abuse, whose claims are currently time–barred, a window of time to bring their claims against the abusers and responsible institutions. Turning a cold–shoulder to such older victims and apparently bowing to pressure brought by lobbyists for the insurance industry, Catholic Church and others, the legislators completely eliminated this provision of the proposed legislation. Unlike New York and New Jersey who recently enacted legislation that provided older victims of childhood sexual abuse a limited opportunity to bring their claims against the abusers and responsible institutions, Connecticut’s “Time’s Up” act ignores these older victims and the expansion of the statute of limitations it does provide for childhood sexual abuse, only applies to abuse that occurs after October 1, 2019.