Democrats Introduce 'Virginia's Law' to Scrap Statute of Limitations for Sex Abuse Survivors

On the marble steps of the U.S. Capitol last Tuesday, Sky Roberts fought back tears as he spoke about his sister. Virginia Giuffre — one of the most prominent accusers of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — died by suicide last April after years of legal battles and public advocacy. Now, the legislation bearing her name could reshape how American law treats survivors of sexual abuse Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Teresa Leger Fernández formally introduced Virginia's Law on Monday, February 10, a bill that would eliminate the 10-year federal statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. Crucially, the bill applies retroactively — meaning survivors whose claims were previously time-barred would gain a new legal pathway to seek accountability Virginia’s Law: How Democrat proposal could spark flood of sex abuse claimsaljazeera.com·SecondaryStanding with Epstein victims, Schumer introduces ‘Virginia’s law’ Democrats in the United States Congress have proposed a new law which would fully scrap the statute of limitations for federal civil sex abuse cases. The proposed legislation has been named Virginia’s Law after Virginia Giuffre, who accused the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates of sexually abusing and trafficking her in the 1990s when she was a teenager..

What the Bill Does

Under current federal law, adult survivors of sex trafficking have just 10 years from the date of the crime to file a civil lawsuit. If the victim was a minor, the clock starts when they turn 18. In September 2022, Congress removed the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims going forward, but that change did not apply retroactively Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Virginia's Law goes further. It would scrap the 10-year limit entirely for all federal civil cases involving sexual abuse and trafficking — regardless of when the abuse occurred. The bill also expands jurisdictional reach, covering sex crimes committed outside the United States where a U.S. court has jurisdiction, such as cases involving American perpetrators or victims, or trafficking to and from U.S. soil Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

"When the truth of Jeffrey Epstein finally started to come out, when the world finally started to listen to their stories, oftentimes the laws in the books said, 'Sorry, it's too late. The deadline to bring your case has passed,'" Schumer told the Senate last week. "Virginia's Law will change that, because justice for victims of abuse should not have an expiration date" Virginia’s Law: How Democrat proposal could spark flood of sex abuse claimsaljazeera.com·SecondaryStanding with Epstein victims, Schumer introduces ‘Virginia’s law’ Democrats in the United States Congress have proposed a new law which would fully scrap the statute of limitations for federal civil sex abuse cases. The proposed legislation has been named Virginia’s Law after Virginia Giuffre, who accused the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates of sexually abusing and trafficking her in the 1990s when she was a teenager..

The Political Landscape

The bill faces significant headwinds. Republicans control both chambers of Congress — holding 219 seats in the House (to Democrats' 214, with two vacancies) and 53 seats in the Senate. Virginia's Law requires a simple majority in both chambers before reaching the president's desk Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

No Republican co-sponsors have been announced, and as of this week the bill has no scheduled vote date in either chamber. Republican leadership has not publicly commented on the proposal. However, advocates point to last year's bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, which successfully compelled the Department of Justice to release 3.5 million pages of heavily redacted documents from its Epstein investigation. That precedent, they argue, suggests appetite for accountability crosses party lines Virginia’s Law: How Democrat proposal could spark flood of sex abuse claimsaljazeera.com·SecondaryStanding with Epstein victims, Schumer introduces ‘Virginia’s law’ Democrats in the United States Congress have proposed a new law which would fully scrap the statute of limitations for federal civil sex abuse cases. The proposed legislation has been named Virginia’s Law after Virginia Giuffre, who accused the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates of sexually abusing and trafficking her in the 1990s when she was a teenager..

Constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein cautioned that the bill's scope is more limited than it might appear. "The bill applies only to federal sex abuse crimes involving the mails or interstate commerce as stipulated in 18 USC 2421 et seq," he told Al Jazeera. It covers federal trafficking offenses under the 1910 Mann Act — cases involving crossing state lines or using interstate commerce — and would not supersede state laws Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Critics and Concerns

Legal scholars have long debated the merits of eliminating statutes of limitations. Proponents of time limits argue they exist for sound reasons: memories fade, witnesses die, and documentary evidence deteriorates over decades. The FBI itself cites these concerns as the rationale for limitation periods Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Fein noted that the passage of time creates real evidentiary challenges. "Memories fade, witnesses die, and documents are commonly lost over time," he said, raising questions about whether decades-old civil claims can be fairly adjudicated Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Defense attorneys and civil liberties groups have historically opposed retroactive changes to limitation periods, arguing they undermine due process by forcing defendants to answer claims when exculpatory evidence may have long since disappeared. The American Civil Liberties Union has previously expressed concern about retroactive extensions in analogous contexts, though it has not yet commented on Virginia's Law specifically.

The bill also raises questions about the interaction between federal and state law. Many states have already moved to extend or eliminate their own statutes of limitations for sex crimes. Iowa, Vermont, California, and Texas have scrapped criminal time limits for many sex offenses, while states including Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, and Alabama have expanded civil filing windows. Virginia's Law would operate alongside — not replace — these state provisions Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Precedent From New York

Advocates point to New York's experience as evidence of what could follow at the federal level. In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily opened a one-year window for adult survivors to file civil lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred. Before it expired in November 2023, more than 3,000 suits were filed — including writer E. Jean Carroll's successful sexual abuse and defamation case against President Donald Trump Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

New York had earlier created a similar window for childhood abuse survivors under its 2019 Child Victims Act. The combined effect was a wave of litigation that legal experts say exposed patterns of institutional abuse across churches, schools, and other organizations Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

"If the law passes, an indeterminate number of women may bring civil actions against men identified in the Epstein files — Prince Andrew, for example — seeking damages," Fein said. "The number is unknown because victims commonly are reluctant to sue because of social stigma" Democrats introduce ‘Virginia’s law’ bill to end statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse casestheguardian.com·SecondaryProposed legislation, named after Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, also tackles jurisdiction Democrats in Congress were joined on Capitol Hill by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce legislation to end the statute of limitations and restrictions on jurisdiction in civil sexual abuse cases. The move comes less than two weeks after the justice department released 3..

Giuffre's Legacy

Virginia Giuffre first came to public attention through her allegations against Epstein and his associates, including British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew. She reached a settlement with Andrew in 2022, and Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges Virginia’s Law: How Democrat proposal could spark flood of sex abuse claimsaljazeera.com·SecondaryStanding with Epstein victims, Schumer introduces ‘Virginia’s law’ Democrats in the United States Congress have proposed a new law which would fully scrap the statute of limitations for federal civil sex abuse cases. The proposed legislation has been named Virginia’s Law after Virginia Giuffre, who accused the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates of sexually abusing and trafficking her in the 1990s when she was a teenager..

Giuffre's brother called on Andrew to testify before Congress. "I think he should show up in front of our Congress," Roberts said at last week's press conference. "He has a lot of questions he needs to answer." Schumer said he agreed Virginia’s Law: How Democrat proposal could spark flood of sex abuse claimsaljazeera.com·SecondaryStanding with Epstein victims, Schumer introduces ‘Virginia’s law’ Democrats in the United States Congress have proposed a new law which would fully scrap the statute of limitations for federal civil sex abuse cases. The proposed legislation has been named Virginia’s Law after Virginia Giuffre, who accused the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates of sexually abusing and trafficking her in the 1990s when she was a teenager..

The House Oversight Committee interviewed Maxwell virtually on February 10, the same day the bill was introduced — a sign of how the Epstein matter continues to reverberate through Washington. Members of Congress had begun reviewing unredacted DOJ files the day before, and Schumer has called for the release of millions of additional pages Virginia’s Law: How Democrat proposal could spark flood of sex abuse claimsaljazeera.com·SecondaryStanding with Epstein victims, Schumer introduces ‘Virginia’s law’ Democrats in the United States Congress have proposed a new law which would fully scrap the statute of limitations for federal civil sex abuse cases. The proposed legislation has been named Virginia’s Law after Virginia Giuffre, who accused the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates of sexually abusing and trafficking her in the 1990s when she was a teenager..

Whether Virginia's Law survives the Republican-controlled Congress remains an open question. But the bill's introduction last week, alongside the ongoing document releases and congressional investigations, signals that the political ground around sexual abuse accountability continues to shift — driven in part by the legacy of a woman who spent years demanding the world listen.