IOWA - A national group is calling for Iowa to change its statute of limitations for child sexual abuse.
The group Child USA wants the state legislature to pass a bill in the Senate that would let victims to sue or press charges at any age.
The state currently allows victims to pursue criminal charges until age 33, and only four years to file a civil lawsuit.
The group points to a study showing victims of child sexual abuse first come forward at an average age of 52.
The legislation also gives adult survivors of child sex abuse three years from the bill’s passage to bring claims.
It has currently passed out of a committee and could be considered by the full Senate. It would then have to pass the House and be signed by Governor Kim Reynolds.
The bill is sponsored by Republican Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale. It's supported by Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, the Iowa County Attorneys Association, the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance and the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault. It’s opposed by the Iowa Defense Counsel Association and Iowa Insurance Associates.
Child USA claims Iowa ranks at or near the bottom in several categories for its child sexual abuse statute of limitations.