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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=19872
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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: March 15, 2016 05:02 PM
From: Representative Mark Rozzi
To: All House members
Subject: Co-sponsorship - Adding Child Sex Abuse As Exception to Sovereign Immunity Laws
 
In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation which will add an exception to the state and local governmental sovereign immunity statutes whereby the defense of sovereign immunity cannot be invoked for claims for damages caused by child sex abuse.

Current sovereign immunity law provides 9 exceptions where protection of sovereign immunity will not apply. My proposal adds child sex abuse as 10th exception to the state law and 9th exception to the immunity statutes for local government law. Current exceptions:

  • 1. vehicle liability
  • 2. medical-professional liability
  • 3. control of personal property
  • 4. Real estate, highways, sidewalks
  • 5. Potholes and other dangerous conditions
  • 6. Control of animals
  • 7. Liquor store sales
  • 8. National Guard activities
  • 9. Toxoids and vaccines
As background, the Roman Catholic Church has characterized statute of limitation proposals, particularly the revival of a “window” for past victims of child sex abuse, as unfair, noting they would affect private institutions such as the church but exempt governmental entities such as school districts.

I have always taken the stance that if it can be proven that a person or entity, public or private, knowingly put a child in harm’s way, then they should be able to be prosecuted. After all, if animals abusers can be prosecuted, why not child sex abusers?

Please join with me to protect children and not the predators and organizations that shield them. Thank you.




Introduced as HB1913