An Ohio legislative workgroup recommended Sept. 23 extending or eliminating deadlines for childhood sexual abuse survivors to sue or pursue criminal charges. State law sets lawsuit deadlines by age 30 and criminal charges by 43, with five extra years if DNA evidence matches.
Sen. Bill Blessing and Rep. Rachel Baker plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks and continue work next year. The report also recommends extending adult survivors’ lawsuit window from one year to at least five; Senate Bill 421, which would make that change, is pending in the Ohio House.
The wider report calls for higher reimbursement for forensic exams—about $2,500 each, while hospitals typically receive $600—law-enforcement training on domestic-violence risk assessments, and more crime-lab staff and equipment to reduce backlogs. Other recommendations cover college training on the state’s 2023 strangulation law, gun restrictions aligned with federal rules, and higher penalties for AI-generated sexual abuse material. Ohio Domestic Violence Network data cited in the article show 157 people died because of domestic violence in 2025, up from 114 in 2024.
