The House Judiciary Committee heard HB 1400 on the statute of limitation on certain claims authored by Rep. Negele and Rep. McNamara. This bill provides that an action for injury to a person that results from the sexual abuse of a child, that has expired under the current statute of limitations, may be commenced in certain bankruptcy proceedings for up to two years.
The author testified that this bill was crafted specifically for 760 claimants in the suit brought by Boy Scouts that were sexually abused. There is a pending settlement; survivors can accept $3,500, make specific claims and be awarded based on a matrix, or independent civil review process. This bill affects those making specific claims based on a matrix and is narrowly written to only affect this case. Representatives from the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association and Defense Trial Counsel testified in favor of the bill. A man who was sexually abused as a Boy Stout and is one of the claimants for this suit also testified.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/house/1400