Stava Bill to Remove Statute of Limitations for Human Trafficking of Minors Becomes Law

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — People who become victims of human trafficking before turning 18 will have fewer barriers to justice after a bill championed by state Rep. Anne Stava, D- Downers Grove, was signed into law August 15 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Trafficking in people, especially when compounded by sexual abuse, is one of the most heinous and despicable kinds of criminal activity we confront,” Stava said. “Sadly, it’s still far too common, and survivors of sex trafficking who were under 18 at the time of the incident are limited regarding how much time they have to pursue charges against their abuser, which just isn’t right.”

Stava’s House Bill 2602 removes the statute of limitations on prosecuting offenders for crimes like involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude and trafficking in persons; when the victim was a minor at the time of the offense, allowing these prosecutions to be commenced at any time.

Previously, once a person victimized as a minor turned 43 years old, they could no longer press charges against their abuser because the law provided a 25-year statute of limitations beginning from the age of 18. Constitutional limits mean that statutes of limitations can’t be retroactively changed, so the statute of limitations will still apply to past crimes and to those that take place before January 1, 2026—the law’s effective date.

The law reflects the reality that sexual abuse, particularly repeated abuse during which the victim is being held against their will, is terribly traumatic and that victims, especially those who were children at the time, may need years to get to a place where they can come forward.

“What it comes down to is the question: why should human traffickers—particularly those who victimized children—ever be safe? When you commit a crime like that, you don’t deserve peace of mind,” Stava said. “What purpose is served by an arbitrary cutoff after which crimes like these are ignored? I don’t think it can be justified.”