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Rep. Subramanyam leads bipartisan bill protecting child abuse survivors
The Statutes of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Reform Act would incentivize states to remove civil and criminal statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 24, Sep 2025
- 13:38 EDT
- 12
Suhas Subramanyam / A screen grab of Congressman Suhas Subramanyan speaking on the House floor
Indian American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) on Sept. 23 introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to justice for survivors of child sexual abuse, assault, and trafficking.
The Statutes of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Reform Act, co-led with Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), would incentivize states to remove civil and criminal statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.
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The bill also authorizes $20 million in grants for states that adopt such reforms, allowing survivors to pursue justice on their own terms.
“Child sexual abuse survivors should be able to come forward and seek justice without a deadline,” Subramanyam said, noting that many survivors are denied justice because of arbitrary legal barriers. Salazar called the measure a safeguard against predators, saying, “time will never protect predators, and the law will never fail survivors again.”
Stefan Turkheimer, vice president of Public Policy at RAINN, welcomed the bill, stressing that “healing does not have a time limit and keeps a path open for survivors to bring those responsible to justice.”
The scale of child sexual abuse in the United States remains staggering. Research indicates that one in four girls and one in 13 boys experience some form of sexual abuse before turning 18, yet fewer than 15 percent of cases are ever reported to authorities.
Federal data show that Child Protective Services substantiates or finds strong evidence of sexual abuse in approximately 63,000 children each year, with overall confirmed child abuse and neglect cases exceeding 550,000 annually.
Studies further indicate that fewer than 25 percent of survivors disclose their abuse within a year, while about half wait at least five years before telling anyone. Many survivors do not disclose until middle age, long after statutes of limitations have expired.
Federal lawmakers have been advancing related measures to strengthen protections for children and expand legal recourse for survivors, including the STOP CSAM Act, which targets online platforms hosting child sexual abuse material, and the Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act.
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