An act TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CIVIL ACTIONS 10 BROUGHT BY CERTAIN VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas                       A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                             SENATE BILL 13

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5 By: Senator D. Wallace

6 By: Representative Gazaway

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8                             For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CIVIL ACTIONS

10  BROUGHT BY CERTAIN VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE; TO ALLOW

11  A CLAIM TO BE BROUGHT FOR INJURY CAUSED BY CHILD

12  SEXUAL ABUSE AT ANY TIME IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES;

13  AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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16                                        Subtitle

17                        TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CIVIL

18                        ACTIONS BROUGHT BY CERTAIN VICTIMS OF

19                        SEXUAL ABUSE; AND TO ALLOW A CLAIM TO BE

20                        BROUGHT FOR INJURY CAUSED BY CHILD

21                        SEXUAL ABUSE AT ANY TIME IN CERTAIN

22                        CIRCUMSTANCES.

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24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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26  SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. Civil action for

27 certain victims of child sexual abuse.

28  (a) Notwithstanding any other statute of limitation or any other law

29 that may be construed to reduce the statutory period stated in this section,

30 a claim for injury caused by child sexual abuse may be commenced or

31 maintained by or on behalf of an injured individual at any time if:

32  (1) The injured individual was under eighteen (18) years of age

33 at the time the right to bring a claim for injury accrued;

34  (2) The injury on which the claim is based arises from the

35 violation of a criminal sex offense that existed at the time the injury

36 occurred, regardless of whether a criminal complaint was filed, a criminal

    *JLL046*                                                     12/17/2024 1:17:10 PM JLL046
                                                                      SB13

1 conviction was obtained, or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere was entered;

2   (3) A civil action based on the conduct that is the subject of

3 the claim for injury is barred by the expiration of the statute of

4 limitations prescribed under � 16-56-116;

5   (4) The claim for injury is the basis for making or maintaining

6 a timely claim in a bankruptcy proceeding that was initiated by a

7 congressionally chartered organization on February 18, 2020; and

8   (5) The claim for injury is against an entity that is seeking or

9 has been provided protection under a plan of reorganization in the bankruptcy

10 proceeding described in subdivision (a)(4) of this section and not against

11 any other person or entity.

12  (b) This section applies retroactively to all claims based on

13 violations of criminal sex offenses that occurred before the effective date

14 of this act, regardless of the statute of limitation in effect at the time

15 the violation of the criminal sex offense occurred.

16  (c) This section does not limit, supersede, or otherwise affect any

17 other law concerning the statute of limitation for actions for injury caused

18 by child sexual abuse.

19  (d) This section expires on December 31, 2026.

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