HARRISBURG, Pa. — After a month-long recess, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will reconvene today for a special session.
House Speaker Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) called the House back into session to vote on two bills to help childhood sexual abuse survivors seek justice from their abusers and the institutions that protect them.
One bill would propose an amendment to the state constitution, and the other would change state law. Both of the bills would create a two-year window for adult victims of childhood sexual assault to file civil lawsuits against their abusers to the institutions that protect them.
The House was recessed by Rozzi in late January after losing Republican support.
Some Senate Republicans argue the constitutional amendment, which the Senate passed last month, addresses the statutory bill. The bill was not considered in the House, and the amendment was combined into one Senate bill with two more partisan amendments.
“I look forward to returning the House to session on Feb. 21 and immediately adopting operating rules and beginning the process of getting both the constitutional amendment and the statutory window to justice through the House,” said Rozzi. “Unfortunately partisan bickering and inability to agree on the most basic operations of the House stalled this effort.”
There’s a razor-thin 102-101 Democratic majority that has contributed to the stalemate. Rozzi said that he will not pass any other legislation until the adult childhood sexual abuse amendment is made.
Many Republicans have already signaled their support for their original choice for Speaker, Joanna McClinton.
“The Speaker claims he's trying to break gridlock in Harrisburg. Unfortunately, I think he's the creation of it,” said Republican leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster).
If the House passes the amendment, the Senate will have to reconvene by next week for a special session in order for the amendment to show up on the November ballot.
The special session takes place at noon today. Click here to watch.