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HB53 • 2026

Child sexual abuse; Legislature authorized to revive lapsed rights or remedies, constitutional amendment

Child sexual abuse; Legislature authorized to revive lapsed rights or remedies, constitutional amendment

Children Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Hollis
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

It is unclear how many cases this amendment would affect.

Allowing the Legislature to Revive Time-Barred Rights for Child Sexual Abuse Cases

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Alabama legislature to revive any time-barred rights or remedies related to child sexual abuse.

What This Bill Does

  • Proposes an amendment to Section 95 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.
  • Allows the Legislature to revive any right or remedy relating to sexual abuse of a minor that may have become barred by lapse of time.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who were sexually abused as minors and whose legal rights have expired due to the passage of time.
  • The Alabama Legislature, which would gain new powers under this amendment.
  • Voters in Alabama who will decide whether to approve the proposed constitutional amendment.

Terms To Know

Constitutional Amendment
A change or addition to a constitution that requires special procedures for approval, such as voter ratification.
Lapse of Time
The passage of time that can cause legal rights and remedies to expire or become invalid.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is unclear how many cases this amendment would affect.
  • The bill does not specify the exact process for reviving lapsed rights once the amendment passes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  2. 2026-01-13 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Children and Senior Advocacy

Official Summary Text

Child sexual abuse; Legislature authorized to revive lapsed rights or remedies, constitutional amendment

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB53 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB53
NR5BFTT-1
By Representative Hollis (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: Children and Senior Advocacy
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 05-Nov-25
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NR5BFTT-1 07/15/2025 GP (L)lg 2025-2266
Page 1
PFD: 05-Nov-25
SYNOPSIS:
Under the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, the
Legislature has no power to revive any right or remedy
which may have become barred by lapse of time or by
statute.
This bill would propose an amendment to the
Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to allow the
Legislature to revive any time-barred right or remedy
relating to sexual abuse of a minor.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to child sexual abuse; to propose an amendment
to Section 95 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to
authorize the Legislature to revive any right or remedy
relating to child sexual abuse.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Section 95 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, is
amended to read as follows:
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HB53 INTRODUCED
Page 2
amended to read as follows:
"Section 95
(a) There can be no law of this state impairing the
obligation of contracts by destroying or impairing the remedy
for their enforcement; and the legislature Legislature shall
have no power to revive any right or remedy which may have
become barred by lapse of time, or by any statute of this
state. After suit has been commenced on any cause of action,
the legislature Legislature shall have no power to take away
such cause of action, or destroy any existing defense to such
suit.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Legislature, by
general law, may revive any right or remedy relating to sexual
abuse of a minor which may have become barred by lapse of
time."
Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the
Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as
appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional
paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions:
change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation
for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise
internal or external citations and cross-references; harmonize
language; and translate effective dates.
END OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment
shall be held in accordance with Sections 284 and 285 of the
Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws of this
state. The appropriate election official shall assign a ballot
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HB53 INTRODUCED
Page 3
state. The appropriate election official shall assign a ballot
number for the proposed constitutional amendment on the
election ballot and shall set forth the following description
of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
constitutional amendment:
"Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, to provide that the Legislature, by general law, may
revive any right or remedy relating to sexual abuse of a minor
which may have lapsed due to passage of time.
Proposed by Act ____. "
This description shall be followed by the following
language:
"Yes( ) No( ). "
Section 3. The proposed amendment shall become valid as
a part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved
by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
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