New Bill To Help Adult Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Hawaii may get increased time to hold responsible sex abusers and the organizations that employed them. On January 20, 2023 House Bill No. 582 (HB582) was introduced into the Hawaii House of Representatives which would increase the time for sexual abuse survivors to file a lawsuit from age 26 up to age 50. It also would allow for a court order requiring the personnel of an organization to undergo training on trauma-informed response to allegations of sexual abuse. Survivors often are not ready to share the truth of what happened until many years after the abuse, so this expansion would allow more time for a survivor to stand up on their own terms. Also, the prospect of court ordered training of would serve to protect the victims of sexual abuse of today and tomorrow. You can follow HB582 and its companion bill in the Hawaii Senate (SB238) this session to see if the legislature steps up.