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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama HB 121 Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Allow Revival of Time-Barred Child Sexual Abuse Civil Claims
Last action · January 13, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of OriginSponsor: Donna Givens
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What This Bill Would Do
This constitutional amendment bill authorizes the Alabama Legislature to pass general laws reviving time-barred civil claims arising from child sexual abuse, bypassing existing statutes of limitations and temporal bars. If approved by voters, the amendment would allow survivors to file lawsuits regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred, provided the claim was not previously settled or finally adjudicated.
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse who were previously blocked by legal time limits may gain the legal right to file civil lawsuits against responsible individuals or entities, provided voters ratify the constitutional amendment.
- Under Section 95 of the current Constitution of Alabama of 2022, the Legislature is generally barred from reviving any right or remedy that has expired due to the passage of time. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Survivors of child sexual abuse
Survivors may gain the legal right to pursue civil claims in court even if previous statutes of limitations have expired.
Public or private entities subject to civil claims
Entities and individuals may face civil lawsuits for past allegations of child sexual abuse that were previously time-barred.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does HB 121 do?
Does this bill apply to criminal cases?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 13, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Removal of Temporal Barriers for Abuse Survivors
The bill proposes an explicit constitutional exception to Alabama's long-standing prohibition against reviving time-barred claims, specifically targeting child sexual abuse.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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