SNAP Applauds PA Senate Judiciary Committee for Siding with Survivors in a Historic Vote!

We want to give a big thank you to the Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing HB951. The bill will now move on to the Appropriations Committee, and then hopefully to a vote on the Senate floor succeeded by concurrence with the General Assembly. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R) spoke during the committee hearing with compassion for child sex abuse victims and cited the years of pain and trauma endured. Similar supportive comments by the Judiciary Chair, Senator Lisa Baker (R), and Senators Steve Santesiero (D) and Art Haywood (D) followed. 

 Present in the gallery for yesterday’s session were State Representatives Mark Rozzi (D) and Jim Gregory (R), both champions for justice and survivors themselves. SNAP Board Member Shaun Dougherty and SNAP Communications Manager Mike McDonnell, along with Lara Fortney McKeever, who are also all survivors, were on hand to witness this historic vote as well. 

Throughout the years of deliberation over a two-year window for childhood sexual assault victims to sue their abusers, survivors themselves provided heart-wrenching testimony about the trauma they have endured, and yesterday they came one step closer to seeking justice in court.  

We are ecstatic to finally see significant movement and progress on ‘Window Legislation’ for Pennsylvania. This step has long been overdue. The Senate could advance this bill for a chamber vote as early as April 27th. 

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267.261.0578), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517.974.9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network) has provided support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) 


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