Virginia's Law: What Adult Survivors Whose Civil Claims Have Expired Need to Know

Reviewed by Abuse Justice Center · Updated 2026-06-28

What Virginia's Law Would Mean for Survivors With Expired Federal Claims

Federal law currently sets a 10-year civil statute of limitations for adult survivors of sexual abuse. For many survivors, that window closes long before they are in a position to use it. Research used in legislative debate on Virginia's Law cites an average age of first disclosure of 51 for adult sexual abuse survivors, meaning that the federal deadline has already expired for the majority of survivors by the time they have processed their experience sufficiently to consider civil legal action.

Virginia's Law, introduced in February 2026, would eliminate that federal deadline entirely. If passed, adult survivors could file federal civil claims against abusers and the institutions that enabled them without regard to how many years have passed. The bill also includes a one-year retroactive window that would begin as soon as the law is enacted, giving survivors whose claims are currently time-barred a defined period in which to file new civil actions. That window would be the only opportunity to act on past-expired claims under the federal bill, and it would be time-limited.

The bill has bipartisan sponsorship in both the Senate and the House. It has not been scheduled for a vote, and passage through a Republican-majority Congress is not guaranteed. Sponsors have cited broad public support for related accountability measures as a basis for optimism about cross-party backing, but no vote date has been set. For survivors, this means the law does not currently provide any new legal rights and should not be relied on as a basis for waiting.

What Options Are Already Available to Adult Survivors Right Now

Many adult survivors whose federal civil claims may be time-barred have options under state law that are available right now. As of 2026, 31 states and three U.S. territories have opened civil lookback windows for expired claims or have extended their civil statutes of limitations. California's AB 250 revival window, for example, runs from January 2026 through December 2027 and allows adult survivors whose state-law civil claims previously expired to file new civil actions. New York City's Gender-Motivated Violence Act amendment opened a one-year lookback window that runs from March 2026 through March 2027.

Rhode Island opened a two-year civil lookback window on July 1, 2026. Iowa extended its civil deadline for childhood sexual abuse from one year to five years after majority in May 2026. These are not hypothetical future laws. They are currently in effect and available to survivors who meet their eligibility requirements. Identifying which of these windows applies to a given survivor's situation requires knowing the facts of the case, including where the abuse occurred, who the institution was, and what state law may have applied.

The reach of any civil claim also depends on the specific legal theory being pursued. Some federal statutes allow civil claims regardless of where the abuse occurred if the abuser is a federal employee or if the case involves interstate trafficking. State civil claims depend on which state's law applies. An attorney who focuses on adult survivor civil claims can assess the landscape of options specific to your facts and advise on which, if any, windows are currently open and usable.

How to Find Out What Options You Have Today

The clearest path to understanding what legal options are currently available is a free, confidential consultation with a civil attorney who focuses on sexual abuse survivor cases. At Abuse Justice Center, that consultation is provided at no cost and carries no obligation. Member attorneys work on contingency, meaning no attorney's fee is owed unless they recover for the survivor. The consultation is a conversation, not a commitment to file anything.

During a consultation, the attorney will typically want to understand the basic facts of what happened, when, where, and what institution may have been involved. They will assess what state and federal law applies, which civil windows may be open, and what the realistic prospects for a claim might look like. They can also help a survivor understand what steps to take to preserve evidence and records that may be relevant to any future claim.

For survivors who are not yet ready to pursue legal action, a consultation still has value. Understanding what options exist, and what deadlines may be running, is information that allows a survivor to make a fully informed decision about whether and when to act. Options that exist today may not exist in a year or two if deadlines pass. Knowing the landscape is always better than not knowing it.

Five Questions to Ask Yourself If You Are an Adult Survivor Considering Civil Action

Understanding your options starts with knowing the right questions. Here are five questions to bring to a free consultation with a civil attorney:

1. Where did the abuse occur and what institution was involved?: The state where the abuse occurred and the type of institution involved are two of the most important factors in determining which civil laws apply and which windows may be open. Different states have very different deadlines and lookback provisions.
2. When did you turn 18, and how long ago was the abuse?: Federal and state civil deadlines run from specific dates, often the date a survivor reaches majority. An attorney can calculate whether your federal or state claim is still within the ordinary limitations period or whether a lookback window would be needed.
3. Were there multiple abusers or institutional failures involved?: Civil claims against institutions can be brought separately from claims against individual abusers. If an institution knew or should have known about abuse and failed to stop it, it may face independent civil liability regardless of what happened to any individual defendant.
4. Did you sign any NDA or confidentiality agreement as part of a prior settlement?: NDA reform laws in several states, including Texas, may have already changed the enforceability of agreements you signed in the past. An attorney can review an existing NDA and advise on what it currently allows or prevents.
5. What documentation or records do you still have or can you access?: Civil claims are stronger when supported by records. Medical records, therapy notes, school records, emails, and prior reports to administrators or law enforcement can all be relevant. Gathering what is available now preserves options that may otherwise close.

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