For a survivor of sexual abuse, a single date on a calendar can decide whether the courthouse door is open or closed. That is what a statute of limitations does. It sets a deadline, and when reform changes that deadline, it can change whether a survivor is ever able to be heard at all. The second half of 2026 carries several of the most consequential proposals in this area, and for survivors and the people who advocate for them, the details matter, including when a bill that looked promising falls apart.

This guide surveys the significant pieces of sexual abuse law reform survivors and advocates are watching, state by state. For each one, it explains what the measure would do, where it stands, who is driving it, and what a survivor might consider now rather than later. Because this is a fast-moving area, and because one of the bills below has already changed course since early summer, the status here reflects information as of mid-July 2026, and it can change again as sessions and signature drives continue.

How These Reforms Work, in Plain Terms

Two different kinds of change tend to get grouped together, and it helps to keep them apart.

The first is extending a statute of limitations going forward, which gives future survivors more time to file. The second, often called a lookback window or a revival window, reopens the door for survivors whose deadline has already passed. Pending lookback window legislation is usually the more contested of the two, because it reaches back in time.

That reaching back is also why some reforms are harder to pass than others. Several state constitutions limit retroactive laws, so a revival window in those states may require a constitutional amendment approved by voters, not just an ordinary bill. Colorado is the clearest current example. Watching the mechanism, whether a measure is a statute, a constitutional amendment, or a ballot question, tells you a great deal about how quickly it could actually reach survivors, and how easily it can stall.

The Bills and Ballot Measures to Watch

Delaware – House Bill 75

What it would have done. House Bill 75 would have eliminated Delaware’s civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse and applied that change retroactively, allowing survivors to file at any time, including those whose claims expired long ago. It was written to reach individuals and institutions alike, including public and private entities, and it would have waived the state’s own sovereign immunity.

Where it stands. This is the entry on this list that has moved the most, and not in the direction survivors were hoping for. The bill passed the Delaware House unanimously in June 2025 and was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in late March 2026. On the final night of the legislative session, in the early hours of July 1, 2026, the Senate attached an amendment that its own supporters described as gutting the bill, narrowing its scope in ways House sponsors said undercut the whole point of the legislation. The Senate then passed the weakened version without opposition. Because the bill had been changed, it had to go back to the House for concurrence. Rather than accept the amended version, House Minority Leader Tim Dukes, the bill’s prime sponsor, had it stricken from the calendar. House Bill 75, in the form survivors had been tracking, is dead for this session.

Who is driving it. Representative Tim Dukes sponsored the House version, with Senator Nicole Poore carrying it in the Senate. Survivor advocates and survivor-centered legal organizations pushed the bill for two years. Dukes has said the fight is not over and that he intends to bring the legislation back.

Now versus waiting. Delaware’s 2007 Child Victim’s Act already lets childhood survivors file going forward, so some survivors can act today under existing law. HB 75 was aimed at survivors who are already time-barred, and for them, this outcome is a hard but important lesson. A bill can pass one chamber unanimously, clear committee, and still collapse in its final hours. Survivors in Delaware who were counting on HB 75 should talk with an attorney about what current law does and does not allow, rather than waiting on a bill that will need to be reintroduced.

Pennsylvania – House Bills 462 and 464

What they would do. Pennsylvania is pursuing two paths at once. House Bill 462 is a statutory two-year revival window for survivors abused as children, and it would also waive sovereign immunity so that claims could proceed against public agencies. House Bill 464 would create the same window through a constitutional amendment, which is the more permanent route.

Where it stands. Both bills passed the Democratic-led House in 2025 and remain stalled in the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee, with no vote scheduled as of this writing. The constitutional route is slower by design, because an amendment must pass in two consecutive legislative sessions and then be approved by voters. Pennsylvania nearly completed that process once before, but the 2021 effort was derailed by an error in publicly advertising the amendment, a setback that sent the work back to the beginning.

Who is driving it. Representative Nate Davidson is the prime sponsor. Advocacy has come from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the national think tank CHILD USA and its founder, Professor Marci Hamilton, the state Office of Victim Advocate, and survivors who have testified at hearings, including at an April 2026 hearing where lawmakers displayed rows of flags, each representing a child abused in Pennsylvania in the past year.

Now versus waiting. Current Pennsylvania law lets childhood survivors file until age 55, but it is not retroactive, so survivors who are already past their deadline are the ones these bills would help.

Alabama – House Bill 120 and a Companion Constitutional Amendment

What it would do. Alabama’s pending legislation, filed by Representative Rolanda Hollis, would extend the state’s civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse and revive certain time-barred claims. The revival piece is tied to a constitutional amendment that Alabama voters would decide in the 2026 general election, and the proposal is written to reach institutions entrusted with the well-being of minors, such as churches, private schools, and youth organizations.

Where it stands. The bill remains pending in the House Judiciary Committee. Because the revival depends on a constitutional amendment, the 2026 general election is the pivotal moment to watch, assuming the underlying bill advances far enough to put the question to voters.

Who is driving it. Representative Rolanda Hollis sponsored the pair of measures, alongside survivor advocates.

Now versus waiting. Alabama currently provides a relatively narrow window for childhood claims, generally running from a survivor’s 19th to 25th birthday. If both the bill and the amendment pass, Alabama’s law would widen that window and could reopen some claims that are currently closed.

Colorado – The Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Amendment

What it would do. Colorado’s proposal would amend the state constitution to let the legislature pass a retroactive law reviving time-barred childhood sexual abuse claims, and to waive governmental immunity for them. The amendment is necessary because the Colorado constitution bars retroactive laws, which is why an earlier revival window, passed in 2021, was later struck down by the Colorado Supreme Court.

Where it stands. The legislative version, Senate Concurrent Resolution 25-002, failed in the Senate in 2025 because a constitutional referral needs a two-thirds vote, and every Senate Republican voted against it. Supporters, led by Senator Jessie Danielson, responded by launching a citizen-initiated signature drive to place the amendment before voters in November 2026. To qualify, organizers need signatures from registered voters equal to at least two percent of the vote in each of Colorado’s 35 Senate districts, with a filing deadline in early August 2026. Whether the measure reaches the ballot depends on that drive succeeding in the coming weeks.

Who is driving it. Senator Jessie Danielson, Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and survivors who have testified year after year.

Wisconsin – 2025 Wisconsin Act 90

A clarification worth making. The widely discussed Wisconsin change, which extended a sexual assault statute of limitations from 10 to 20 years, is a criminal-law change, and it is already law. Originally introduced as Senate Bill 413, it took effect as 2025 Wisconsin Act 90, signed by Governor Tony Evers on March 6, 2026, and it lengthens the time prosecutors have to bring charges for second-degree sexual assault. It is not a civil reform, and it is no longer pending.

What that leaves. Wisconsin’s civil deadline for childhood survivors is unchanged, and repeated efforts to create a civil lookback window in the state have not yet succeeded. For survivors tracking the Wisconsin landscape, the honest takeaway is that the recent movement was on the criminal side, while civil reform there remains unfinished.

What Survivors and Advocates Should Do Now

It is easy to read about a pending bill and decide to wait for it. That instinct, while understandable, can be costly, because the law that controls your options is the law in effect today, not the one that might pass tomorrow. Delaware’s House Bill 75 is a hard but useful illustration of exactly why. It cleared its chamber unanimously, made it through committee, and still fell apart on the legislature’s final night.

A few practical steps can help. Confirm your current deadline with an attorney, since limitations periods vary widely by state and by the facts of what happened. Preserve any records, names, and information that could support a future claim, whether or not you plan to act right away. And pay attention to windows that are already open elsewhere, rather than assuming a pending bill will pass on the timeline you expect.

The honest point is this. A bill that may not pass, or may not apply to your situation, is not a reason to let a window that is already open quietly close. Understandably, many survivors want certainty before they act, and a careful look at today’s law can provide some of that footing.

How Constant Legal Group Helps You Track Your Window

At Constant Legal Group (CLG), we follow these developments closely so that survivors do not have to track them alone. We can explain how the current law in your state applies to your situation, flag when a change could open or close a path, and help you understand the difference between what is law today and what is, for now, only proposed. We do this in a trauma-informed and survivor-centered way, on your timeline and at your pace.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Sexual Abuse Reform Legislation

Q: A bill I was following just died. Does that mean I have no options?
A: Not necessarily. A bill dying means that particular path did not become law this session, but it does not change what current law already allows. An attorney can tell you what deadlines apply to your situation right now, separate from any pending legislation.

Q: What is the difference between a statute of limitations extension and a lookback window?
A: An extension gives future survivors more time to file going forward. A lookback window is retroactive. It reopens the courthouse door for survivors whose deadline has already passed under the old law.

Q: Why do some states need a constitutional amendment instead of just passing a law?
A: Some state constitutions prohibit retroactive laws entirely. In those states, courts have struck down ordinary revival statutes, so lawmakers must instead ask voters to amend the constitution before a lookback window can take effect.

Q: Should I wait to see if a bill in my state passes before contacting an attorney?
A: Generally, no. Consultations are typically free and confidential, and an attorney can tell you what your options are under current law while also helping you track relevant legislation.

Q: How often does this information change?
A: Often. Bills can pass one chamber and stall in another, get amended in ways that change their effect, or die in the final hours of a legislative session, as happened with Delaware’s House Bill 75 in July 2026. Status should always be confirmed before you rely on it.

Q: Does Constant Legal Group only handle cases in the states listed here?
A: No. We evaluate sexual abuse and trafficking claims nationwide and can explain how the law in your specific state applies to your situation.

Staying Ahead of a Moving Deadline

New laws could open new options for you, and they move fast, sometimes in the wrong direction as quickly as the right one. Constant Legal Group (CLG) monitors every development so you do not miss your window. If you would like to stay informed, you can subscribe to CLG’s survivor law updates. We are here to hear your story, whenever you are ready to tell it.

Our consultations are free and confidential, with no obligation and no upfront cost. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you.