LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill filed by two Arkansas legislators would address settlement with victims of child sexual abuse expecting compensation through the Boy Scouts Bankruptcy Settlement Trust.
Senate Bill 13 by Sen. David Wallace (R-19) and Rep. Jim Gazaway (R-31) specifically addresses the needs of the more than 500 Arkansas survivors of child sexual abuse while in scouting. Should it become law, the bill will fill gaps in previous legislation promoting the rights of sexual abuse survivors.
Previous legislation was passed in 2021 as the Justice for Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Abuse Act. That legislation was amended in 2023 and removes the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse in Arkansas.
In addition to lifting the statute of limitations, the vulnerable victims act also extends the so-called lookback window since victims of child sexual abuse often do not come forward until adulthood. During the lookback window, which closes on Jan. 31, 2026, survivors of any age can confront their abusers no matter how long ago the child sexual abuse occurred.