堪萨斯州托皮卡。-堪萨斯州立法者周一最终批准了一项法案，该法案将使儿童性虐待发生多年后更容易进行刑事指控或提起诉讼。
众议院以120票对0票通过了这项措施。它属于劳拉·凯利州长，因为参议院上周以40票对0票批准了它。
近年来，随着美国各地神职人员虐待事件的报道，虐待幸存者和倡导者一直在推动变革
该法案将取消检察官对十几起针对儿童的暴力性犯罪嫌疑人提起指控的时间限制，包括猥亵自由，严重的人口贩运和儿童色情互联网交易。
对于此类犯罪，除了强奸和严重鸡奸，检察官目前可以提起刑事指控，直到受害者年满28岁或DNA证据确定嫌疑人后一年，以较晚者为准。
提起诉讼寻求金钱赔偿的最后期限是虐待幸存者年满31岁或虐待者被判对儿童实施性暴力犯罪三年后。目前，诉讼必须在幸存者年满21岁时提起，或者在幸存者“发现或理应发现”童年虐待导致伤害或疾病后三年提起。
Kansas lawmakers pass bill to help child sex abuse survivors
TOPEKA, Kan. --Kansas legislators gave final approval Monday to a bill that would make it easier to pursue criminal charges or file lawsuits over childhood sexual abuse years after the abuse occurred.
The House approved the measure, 120-0. It goes to Gov. Laura Kelly because the Senate approved it last week, 40-0.
Abuse survivors and advocates have been pushing for changes in recent years in the wake of reports of abuse by clergy across the U.S.
The bill would eliminate limits on how long prosecutors have to file charges against suspects for any of a dozen violent sexual offenses against children, including indecent liberties, aggravated human trafficking and internet trading in child pornography.
For such crimes, other than rape and aggravated sodomy, prosecutors currently can file criminal charges until the victim turns 28 or up to a year after DNA evidence establishes a suspect, whichever is later.
The deadline for filing a lawsuit seeking monetary damages would be when abuse survivors turn 31 or three years after the abuser is convicted of a sexually violent crime against a child. Lawsuits currently must be filed by the time a survivor turns 21 or three years after a survivor “discovered or reasonably should have discovered” that childhood abuse caused an injury or illness.
