Virginia’s Law

Key Points

• This bill, called Virginia’s Law, would give victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking the right to sue their abusers in federal court. It also allows victims to sue any person or business that knowingly made money from these crimes.
• For the most serious crimes, such as child sex trafficking and aggravated sexual abuse, the bill removes the time limit for filing a lawsuit. This means victims could seek justice and financial damages even decades after the abuse occurred.
• The bill includes a special one-year 'look back' period. This allows victims whose cases were previously blocked or dismissed because they waited too long to file a new lawsuit within one year of the law passing.
• If there is an active criminal investigation or trial happening for the same crime, the civil lawsuit will be put on hold. This ensures that the private lawsuit does not interfere with the government's ability to prosecute the criminal case.
• Victims who win their lawsuits can recover money for the harm they suffered and have their legal fees paid for by the person or group they sued.

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