Governor Signs Hernandez-Backed Measure to Support Victims of Sexual Assault

AURORA, Ill. – Legislation supported by state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, to eliminate the statute of limitations on sexual assault offenses was recently signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker.

“In the wake of the Me Too movement, more and more victims of sexual abuse are feeling safe to seek justice for the horrible crimes that happened to them,” said Hernandez. “I am stepping up for these men and women by ensuring this pathway to justice is available to them at any time.”

Hernandez supported House Bill 2135, which makes changes to the state criminal code regarding prosecution of sex crimes. Previous statutes of limitations on prosecution of sexual assault was within 10 years of the commission of the crime, only if the victim reported the crime within 3 years. Under this new legislation, a prosecution for charges of sexual assault, including criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, or aggravated sexual abuse, can happen at any time. The measure received unanimous support from both chambers of the General Assembly, and will go into effect Jan. 1st, 2020.

“Victims of sexual assault have gone through trauma like no other, and by removing the time frame for coming forward, I hope to see more victims seek justice against their abusers; whether it happened recently or 20 years ago,” said Hernandez. “I am proud to see this bipartisan bill signed by the governor, but our work cannot stop here. I will continue to work towards increasing mental and physical health funding for victims, as well as more preventative measures against these devastating crimes.”