Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1833 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2352 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1833
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John J. Lawn, Jr.
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act enhancing remedies for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:John J. Lawn, Jr.10th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2352 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1833
18	18	By Representative Lawn of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1833) of
19	19	John J. Lawn, Jr. relative to remedies for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The Judiciary.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act enhancing remedies for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1. Section 85K of chapter 231 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
29	29	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “costs”, in line 12, the following
30	30	3words:- provided, however, that all claims of sexual abuse of a minor, as defined in section 4C of
31	31	4chapter 260, shall not be subject to a limitation on damages.
32	32	5 SECTION 2. Section 2 of chapter 258 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
33	33	6amended by inserting after the word “damages”, in line 12, the following words:- ; provided
34	34	7further that all claims of sexual abuse of a minor, as defined in section 4C of chapter 260, shall
35	35	8not be subject to a $100,000 limitation on damages.
36	36	9 SECTION 3. Subsection (j) of section 10 of said chapter 258, as so appearing, is hereby
37	37	10amended by inserting after paragraph (4) the following paragraph:- (5) any claim of sexual abuse
38	38	11of a minor, as defined in section 4C of chapter 260, by a public employee or contractor. 2 of 2
39	39	12 SECTION 4. Section 4C of chapter 260 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
40	40	13amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following
41	41	14paragraph:-
42	42	15 Actions of tort alleging the defendant sexually abused a minor may be commenced at any
43	43	16time after the acts alleged to have caused an injury or condition.
44	44	17 SECTION 5. Said chapter 260 is hereby further amended by striking out section 4C1/2,
45	45	18as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
46	46	19 Section 4C½. An action of tort alleging that the defendant negligently supervised a
47	47	20person who sexually abused a minor or that the defendant’s conduct caused or contributed to the
48	48	21sexual abuse of a minor by another person may be commenced at any time after the acts alleged
49	49	22to have caused an injury or condition. For the purposes of this section, “sexual abuse” shall have
50	50	23the same meaning as in section 4C.
51	51	24 SECTION 6. Sections 4C and 4C1/2 of chapter 260 of the General Laws shall apply
52	52	25regardless of when acts alleged to have caused an injury or condition to a minor shall have
53	53	26accrued and regardless of whether it may have lapsed or would otherwise be barred by time
54	54	27under any law of the commonwealth. In an action based on sexual abuse against a minor that
55	55	28would have been barred by time under any law of the commonwealth in effect before the
56	56	29effective date of this act, damages may be awarded against an entity that employed or supervised
57	57	30the person who allegedly committed the sexual abuse only if there is a finding of negligence on
58	58	31the part of the entity.