HB358 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Merika ColemanSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Civil procedure, to further provide for the statute of limitations for civil actions involving certain sex offenses, Sec. 6-2-8 am'd.

Summary

HB358 would expand the civil statute of limitations for certain sex-offense injuries and apply the change retroactively.

What This Bill Does

The bill amends Section 6-2-8 to provide a longer filing window for civil actions based on sex offenses for people who were under 19 years old or insane when the injury occurred. For those individuals, the time to start a civil action would be counted after the disability ends, with a long period described in the bill as 'six 36 years' after termination of the disability. The change applies retroactively to sex offenses that occurred before the bill’s effective date, regardless of the prior statute of limitations. It also clarifies how multiple disabilities affect the timing, such as delaying the start of the limitation period until all disabilities are removed.

Who It Affects

• Minors under 19 at accrual whose injury comes from certain sex offenses (as described in Section 15-20A-5)
• People insane or mentally incapacitated at accrual whose injury comes from those sex offenses
• These groups would have an extended period after disability ends to file civil actions, and the extension has retroactive effect

Key Provisions

• Amends 6-2-8 to extend the filing period for sex-offense injuries for eligible minors and mentally incapacitated individuals.
• Specifies a long period after the end of the disability to commence the action (described in the text as 'six 36 years').
• Provides retroactive application to offenses that occurred before the act's effective date, regardless of prior limitations.
• Clarifies that when multiple disabilities exist, the limitation does not start until all are removed; a disability not present at accrual does not suspend the period unless stated.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Civil Procedure