EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 589
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR HUDSON.
2309S.02I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal section 537.046, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to childhood
sexual abuse actions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 537.046, RSMo, is repealed and one new 1
section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 537.046, 2
to read as follows:3
537.046. 1. As used in this section, the following 1
terms mean: 2
(1) "Childhood sexual abuse", any act committed by the 3
defendant, or an act committed by an individual if the 4
defendant's tortious conduct causes such act to occur, 5
against the plaintiff which act occurred when the plaintiff 6
was under the age of eighteen years and which act would have 7
been a violation of section 566.030, [566.040, 566.050] 8
566.031, 566.032, 566.034 , 566.060, [566.070, 566.080, 9
566.090] 566.061, 566.062, 566.064, 566.067, 566.068, 10
566.069, 566.071, 566.083, 566.086, 566.093, 566.095 , 11
566.100, [566.110, or 566.120] 566.101, 566.209, 566.210, 12
566.211, or [section] 568.020; 13
(2) "Injury" or "illness", either a physical injury or 14
illness or a psychological injury or illness. A 15
psychological injury or illness need not be accompanied by 16
physical injury or illness. 17 SB 589 2
2. Any action against any party to recover damages 18
from injury or illness caused by childhood sexual abuse or 19
tortious conduct that causes a victim to be a victim o f 20
childhood sexual abuse in an action brought pursuant to this 21
section [shall be commenced within ten years of the 22
plaintiff attaining the age of twenty -one or within three 23
years of the date the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably 24
should have discovere d, that the injury or illness was 25
caused by childhood sexual abuse, whichever later occurs ] 26
may be commenced at any time . 27
3. This section shall apply to any action against any 28
party commenced on or after August 28, [2004] 2025, 29
including any action which would have been barred by the 30
application of the statute of limitation applicable prior to 31
that date. 32