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Congress·In Committee·20 days ago

Senate Bill Would Let Sex Trafficking Survivors Sue Abusers With No Time Limit

Also known as: Virginia's Law

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill, called "Virginia's Law," would allow victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking to sue their attackers in federal court. Victims could ask for money to cover their suffering and have their legal bills paid by the person who harmed them.
  • For the most serious crimes, like sex trafficking and severe sexual abuse, the bill removes all time limits for filing a lawsuit. This means a survivor could take their abuser to court even if the crime happened many years ago.
  • The law also goes after people or companies that knowingly made money from these crimes. If a business benefited from a trafficking ring, they could be held responsible in court just like the person who committed the abuse.
  • There is a special one-year "look back" period. This gives people whose cases were previously blocked by old time limits a new chance to file their lawsuits and seek justice.
  • To make sure criminal cases aren't disrupted, any lawsuit would be put on hold while the police are investigating or while a criminal trial is still going on. This ensures the civil case doesn't get in the way of a criminal conviction.
Civil RightsCriminal Justice

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 10, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S554-555; text: CR S555)

Feb 10, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related News

2 articles
RochesterFirst·13 days ago

New 'Virginia’s Law' aims to end statute of limitations for sex abuse, trafficking survivors

Advocates and survivors joined lawmakers to announce federal legislation that removes legal barriers for human trafficking survivors. The bill recognizes that trauma often prevents victims from coming forward within the current 10-year federal window.

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News From The States·20 days ago

NM U.S. Rep. Leger Fernández, Sen. Schumer introduce ‘Virginia’s Law,” named for Epstein survivor

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández and Sen. Chuck Schumer introduced federal legislation to eliminate statutes of limitation in civil cases for victims of sexual abuse. The bill also clarifies that traffickers cannot escape accountability by committing abuses in different jurisdictions.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Virginia's Law

Bill NumberS 3815
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S554-555; text: CR S555)

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.