The state Legislature is considering changing a law that was meant to ensure Iowans who were abused by Boy Scouts of America leaders get their full payout as part of a national settlement.
The 2024 law made an exception to Iowa’s time limit on suing perpetrators of child sexual abuse for Boy Scouts abuse survivors. That exception is set to end Dec. 31, but former Boy Scouts are telling lawmakers they need more time.
Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, said the bill (SSB 3194) advancing in the Senate would extend the time limit until all filings and appeals in the cases are complete. He said men have come up to him and thanked him for his work on the issue.
“They said, ‘I am one of them that is affected by this,’ which I thought that that not only took a lot of guts for them to do, but it also showed the importance of us doing what we’re doing now,” Kraayenbrink said.
It’s not clear if the House will support the bill without specifying a date that the exception would end.