HARRISBURG, Pa. — Governor Tom Wolf issued a proclamation Friday calling for a special session of the General Assembly to be held on Monday, Jan. 9.
The session will propose a constitutional amendment to retroactively extend the timeline for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil actions.
“For far too many Pennsylvanians, justice and healing for the pain they’ve experienced is out of reach,” said Gov. Wolf. "No survivor should be denied the chance to hold their abuser accountable, regardless of how much time has passed.”
At the special session, Wolf is calling on the General Assembly to complete the constitutionally required second passage of the last session's House Bill 14 to ensure voters have their say in the matter during May's election.
Gov. Wolf is asking the General Assembly to pass the joint resolution no later than Friday, Jan. 27.
According to the Wolf administration, the tight schedule can only be accomplished under the specific circumstances of a single, straightforward amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution.
The quick timeline will ensure the Department of State can meet the publication requirements so that Pa. voters have the opportunity to consider the amendment in May.
“Now is the time to stand together and send a clear message: childhood sexual abuse will not be tolerated in our commonwealth and survivors will have the support they need to find justice,” added Gov. Wolf.
In August of 2022, Gov. Wolf and legislative leaders agreed that the constitutional amendment process was the best path forward for this measure.
Speaker of the House Mark Rozzi released the following statement regarding Gov. Wolf's announcement:
Today, Governor Tom Wolf issued a proclamation ordering a special session of the General Assembly to consider a constitutional amendment providing for relief to survivors of childhood sexual abuse. For that, and on behalf of victims throughout the Commonwealth, I say to Governor Wolf: thank you.
As you know, I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I know firsthand the trauma that comes with surviving such a vicious attack. I have childhood friends who initially survived their assault only to succumb to the trauma years later and to take their own lives.
There is an epidemic of sexual abuse against children in this Commonwealth, throughout this nation, and throughout the world. I came to Harrisburg with one purpose: to see that survivors of childhood sexual assault in Pennsylvania receive the justice that they deserve.
For the last 10 years I have fought this battle as a rank-and-file member. Promises have been made. Hope has been raised. But time after time, at the end of the day, for whatever reason, justice has been denied.
Throughout this fight I have met some of the bravest people willing to share their deeply personal and traumatic stories with the hope that by sharing their story, others will understand. One of the bravest people I’ve met is my good friend Representative Jim Gregory.
Representative Gregory, himself a survivor, is a champion of victims and is the author of the constitutional amendment that this special session has been called for. This amendment must be passed without delay. How many victims of childhood sexual assault must take their lives before we give them access to the treatment that they desperately need and deserve?
We are on a tight timeline. Pursuant to our constitution, this amendment must pass both the House and the Senate by the first week of February to be placed on the May primary ballot. If we are late, we risk this life saving amendment not being placed on the ballot until the November General Election.
With that in mind, let me be clear: as long as I am the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the House will consider no other legislation until the General Assembly passes the language of Representative Gregory’s constitutional amendment.
I am confident this can and will be done. While we may not always agree on everything, our Commonwealth is led by some truly remarkable leaders.
On August 31, 2022, Governor Wolf announced an agreement with then Senate Republican Leader Kim Ward, who is now Pennsylvania’s first female President pro tempore of the Senate, then House Republican Leader Kerry Benninghoff, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, to make the passage of this constitutional amendment a priority for the 2023 session.
My friends, it is now 2023. We’ve talked the talk – now it’s time to walk the walk, together, one last time, for the victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Republican leader Bryan Cutler released the following statement:
It is understandable that Gov. Wolf would want to call for this special session as soon as possible given the election of Pennsylvania’s first Independent speaker of the House and the governor’s desire to make up the Department of State’s failures that led to justice being delayed to many survivors of child sexual abuse.
However, it is not in the best interest of the Commonwealth to do this work in special session, where we are required to only work on a single issue. Passing this Constitutional amendment was something we have done easily in the past and have already committed to running this session. We can do this work in regular session, while also addressing other urgent needs the people of Pennsylvania expect us to address in a timely manner.
To do so, we must complete the work necessary to assemble as an effective body. We look forward to working with Speaker Mark Rozzi in earnest and finally see legitimate engagement from our Democratic counterparts so we can agree to a set of House rules, organize committees and begin the work of this session.