Medford, OR — In a move hailed as a major step forward for survivors of sexual abuse, the Oregon House passed House Bill 3582 on Thursday, eliminating statutes of limitations for civil actions related to child sex abuse and sexual assault. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and emotional testimonies from lawmakers, including survivors who described the lasting trauma that often delays reporting.
Under current Oregon law, survivors of child sexual abuse have until age 40, or within five years of realizing the harm caused by the abuse, to file civil claims against their abusers or institutions that enabled the abuse. Adults who are sexually assaulted have five years from the moment they connect the assault to the harm suffered to initiate legal action.
The new legislation removes these deadlines entirely, allowing survivors to pursue justice whenever they are ready. “From here forward, no one will be denied justice just because their healing took time,” said state Rep. Annessa Hartman (D-Gladstone), a sexual assault survivor and the bill’s primary sponsor. “It sends a powerful message to survivors: You don’t have to justify how long it took to come forward.”
Rep. Hartman shared her personal story on the House floor, describing how she initially misinterpreted her trauma as a heightened sense of awareness. “Not until much later did I recognize that supposed power was actually trauma,” she said.
In addition to removing time limits, HB 3582 closes a significant legal loophole by eliminating the requirement that institutions must have “knowingly” allowed or encouraged abuse in order to be held liable. Advocates have long criticized this provision as a shield used by schools, churches, hospitals, and youth organizations to avoid accountability despite clear warning signs.
“That single word — ‘knowingly’ — has been used by institutions to escape responsibility even when red flags were everywhere,” Hartman said.
The bill’s unanimous passage reflects a growing recognition among Oregon lawmakers that current statutes fail to accommodate the complexities of trauma and recovery. However, HB 3582 does not affect statutes of limitations for nonsexual child abuse cases.
Legal experts and advocates praised the legislation as a critical reform that aligns Oregon with several other states expanding or eliminating time limits on civil claims related to sexual abuse.
As survivors and supporters celebrated the House’s decision, attention now turns to the Senate, where the bill will face further scrutiny before potentially becoming law.