ALTON – State Representative Amy Elik is celebrating the passage of House Bill 222 through both chambers of the Illinois Legislature. On November 20, the bill passed the Illinois Senate and is awaiting Governor J.B. Pritzker’s signature.
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As Chief Co-sponsor of HB222, Rep. Elik continues her efforts to protect children from child sexual abuse. The bill builds on language Rep. Elik filed in 2023 in House Bill 1275 and makes two major changes to Illinois statute. The new provisions acknowledge that childhood sexual abuse is inherently traumatic and harmful, and includes provisions to prevent defendants in civil lawsuits from shifting blame onto childhood sexual abuse survivors. While Rep. Elik’s original legislation was filed upon the request of a downstate survivor, sadly, abuse cases happen throughout Illinois. During court hearings, victims have been accused of being at fault and not traumatized from child sexual abuse, which HB222 aims to correct.
“Victims of childhood sexual abuse deserve to be protected from victim blaming,” said Rep. Elik. “Throughout my legislative career, I’ve focused on strengthening our laws to protect children from sexual abuse. All victims deserve an opportunity to seek justice. I hope that this legislation will encourage other survivors to come forward and know that they will not be shamed or bullied in a court hearing.”
Elik acknowledged the outstanding work of Rep. Curtis Tarver as the chief bill sponsor as well as the contributions of advocates and survivors fighting to protect children throughout Illinois.
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