H.R. 5560: Statutes of Limitation for Child Sexual Abuse Reform Act

H.R. 5560 starts from a single problem: survivors of child sexual abuse usually don't come forward for decades, and by then the legal clock has run out. The bill's findings cite that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys in the U.S. are affected by child sexual abuse, that nearly 90% of victims never report to authorities, and that the average age of disclosure is over 52. The bill argues that deadlines written around fast reporting don't match how this crime actually surfaces.

To close that gap, the bill rewrites the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act — the law that channels federal money to states for fighting child abuse. It would require states to eliminate both civil and criminal time limits for child sexual abuse, exploitation, and sex trafficking, and to pass laws reviving claims that earlier deadlines had already shut down.

It also broadens the federal definition of child sexual abuse and exploitation to cover "an act or a failure to act" by a parent, caretaker, or any other person. That makes clear the conduct can include inaction, and isn't limited to parents.

On top of that, the bill creates a new grant program run by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. States already eligible for child abuse funding can earn extra money by adopting one, two, or all three reforms: ending civil time limits, ending criminal time limits for every felony and misdemeanor sex crime against children (including attempts and conspiracy), and reviving old civil claims. States that reopen claims must give survivors at least a 2-year window, or let them file until age 55 — whichever is longer.

The money is modest: $20 million a year from 2026 through 2033. It's split by how far a state goes — 25% of the pool for one reform, 35% for two, and 40% for all three. So the bill works two ways at once: states need these changes to qualify for federal support, and survivors get new paths to court even when the deadline already passed.