LANSING, Mich. — State Senator Kevin Hertel is pushing for changes to Michigan's statute of limitations law that currently prevents hundreds of sexual abuse survivors from receiving their full share of a nationwide settlement. Michigan survivors could receive only 25% of settlement values compared to other states due to the state's restrictive laws.
- Michigan has the strictest statute of limitations for sexual assault victims in the country.
- Scouting America is paying out more than $2 billion in settlement for sexual abuse claims.
- Without legislative action by year's end, many survivors won't qualify for full settlement amounts.
"Right now Michigan has the most strict statute of limitations for sexual assault victims anywhere in the country and we want to make sure that we can open those up," Hertel said.
WATCH: Michigan survivors fight for fair compensation in nationwide abuse settlement
The trust fund established by Scouting America would reduce awards based on state law requirements. Because of Michigan's restrictive statute of limitations, survivors in the state would only receive 25% of the settlement value compared to survivors in other states.
"If these bills are not done by the end of this year, many individuals will not actually qualify for the full settlement," Hertel said.
I spoke with State Representative Julie Brixie when the bills were first introduced in May 2024 and followed up in January 2025 with the group Justice for Survivors regarding the bill package.
"We brought all of those people there and they got their hopes up one more time, the bills did not move," a Justice for Survivors representative said.
GOP Speaker of the House Matt Hall says they are holding off sending nine bills, passed by both chambers during the final days of lame duck, because of legal concerns.
"The line that our body drew is once the prior legislature ends that that is over. Those bills are dead," the Justice for Survivors representative said.
Those bills are currently in the court system awaiting a decision on where they stand.
In a statement, Honorable Barbara Houser, the trustee of the trust said, "The harm experienced by the survivors of scouting sexual abuse is heartbreaking and tragic. While we cannot undo that harm, we can commit to all survivors that the scouting survivors trust will take the time to thoughtfully review all of the details of the claims they submit and we will treat them with fairness, respect and compassion."
For now, survivors are hoping a new law will give them the justice they deserve.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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