Support Illinois HB 1063 to Remove the Criminal Statute of Limitations for Sex Crimes Against Children

Action Alert! We need your help! Support HB 1063 to Remove the Criminal Statute of Limitations for Sex Crimes Against Children The Bill: HB 1063 eliminates the criminal statute of limitations for sex crimes committed against children, giving prosecutors an unlimited amount of time to try these cases.  This bill reflects the reality of childhood sexual abuse, and the fact that many survivors of childhood sexual abuse are not able to come forward until later in life. The bill is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, May 15 in subcommittee at 8:55 a.m. and in the Senate Criminal Law Committee at 9:00 a.m. ICASA staff and a fabulous survivor will be providing testimony in support of the bill.  The bill passed the House 109-0 but has been substantially slowed in the Senate because the Illinois States Attorneys' Association opposes it.  We need your help! How You Can Help: You can do two things to help move this bill along - each of them will only take a few minutes. 1.    Before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, submit an electronic witness slip on behalf of your organization in support of the bill. Here's how to fill out the slip online: A.  Click here to go to the Senate Criminal Law Hearing page.  B.  Scroll down to HB 1063, and click on "Create Witness Slip."C.  Fill out your information, identify yourself as a "proponent" for the bill, and check "Record of Appearance Only."D.  When you receive a confirmation email, please forward it to Lshawgo@icasa.org 2.  The bill will be heard first in a subcommittee of the Senate Criminal Law Committee and then in the Criminal Law Committee. If your Senator is on the Criminal Law Committee, please call their office before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, and ask them to "Please vote yes on HB 1063."  It is perfectly fine to tell their assistant why you personally feel that prosecutors should have more time to prosecute these cases. Tim Bivins -(R) 45th District  (217) 782-0180 Michael Connelly -(R) 21st District  (217) 782-8192 Bill Cunningham -(D) 18th District  (217) 782-5145 William R. Haine -(D) 56th District (also serves on Special Issues Subcommittee)  (217) 782-5247 Dan Kotowski -(D) 28th District (also serves on Special Issues Subcommittee)  (217) 782-3875 John Mulroe -(D) 10th District  (217) 782-1035 Michael Noland -(D) 22nd District (217) 782-7746 Kwame Raoul -(D) 13th District  (217) 782-5338 Dale Righter -(R) 55th District (also serves on Special Issues Subcommittee)  (217) 782-6674 Patricia Van Pelt -(D) 5th District  (217) 782-6252 A copy of the fact sheet in support of the bill is below for you to review.  Please forward this email widely! If you have any questions, please contact the ICASA office at 217-753-4117. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Support HB 1063 Removes Criminal Statute of Limitations for Sex Crimes Against Children Status: Senate Subcommittee on Special Issues Sponsors: Representative Jefferson (D-67); Senators Collins (D-16), Hunter (D-3) What Does the Bill Do? HB 1063 removes the criminal statute of limitations for any sex offense when the victim was under 18 years at the time of the offense. Why Does the Statute of Limitations Need to be Changed? Most child victims are not ready to report the abuse to law enforcement until after the criminal statute of limitations has expired.  Most child victims are abused by family members or family acquaintances. Offenders often use coercion/guilt tactics to prevent the reporting of abuse. Some of the effects of sexual abuse do not become apparent until the victim is an adult and a major life event, such as marriage or birth of a child, takes place. This law would protect other children from victimization by giving prosecutors a better chance to prosecute and convict sex offenders.