ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives today passed House Bill 17, or the Hidden Predator Act. Sponsored by State Representative Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine), House Bill 17 is aimed at reforming the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse victims.
“The passage of this bill puts Georgia on a new legal footing,” said Rep. Spencer. “We are becoming a state that is truly for liberty and justice for all, not liberty and justice for a few.”
The primary aspects of the bill as passed by the House allows for:
• A two year discovery rule, which allows a survivor of child sexual abuse who has been locked out of the courts due to short civil statute of limitation to unlock courts to seek justice going forward after July 1, 2015.
• A two-year revival window for civil claims that were time barred from the courts against the perpetrator. The window will open July 1, 2015 and closes July 1 2017, and only applies to the perpetrator.
• A victim to have open records where they were subject of an investigation so this can be used as evidence against perpetrator. Current Georgia law restricts victims of child sexual abuse from having access to their record. Records are not disclosed if criminal case has not closed.
House Bill 17 passed by a vote of 169-2 and will now go to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Jason Spencer represents the citizens of District 180, which includes Camden, Charlton, and Ware counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the Secretary of the Special Rules Committee. He also serves on the Game Fish & Parks, Human Relations & Aging, Science and Technology, and Juvenile Justice committees.
###