H.B. 570 Summary

• Extends the statute of limitations for civil actions arising from childhood sexual abuse from 8 years to 50 years after the victim's eighteenth birthday, or 5 years after discovering the psychological injury was caused by the abuse, whichever occurs later.

• Extends the window for filing otherwise time-barred claims against abusers or responsible legal entities from 8 years to 12 years after April 24, 2012, for victims who resided in Hawaii at the time of abuse.

• Allows victims to recover treble damages against legal entities if the abuse resulted from the entity's reckless disregard of evidence relating to a prior incident of sexual abuse of a minor, including failure to report to law enforcement.

• Permits courts to order personnel of defendant legal entities to undergo trauma-informed response training, including integrating trauma research into policies, understanding trauma's effects on cognition and behavior, and creating non-judgmental environments for victims.

• Takes effect upon approval and applies retroactively to April 24, 2020.