Damage Caps on Maryland Child Victims Act Lawsuits Sought As State Faces 4,500 Sexual Abuse Claims

New bill would limit how much sexual assault survivors could recover, sparking backlash and urgent calls for victims to file their lawsuits before June 1.

Two years after passing the Maryland Child Victims Act, which removed the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits in the state, some lawmakers are now moving to limit how much compensation victims can receive, particularly in cases against public institutions.

By removing the childhood sexual abuse lawsuit filing deadlines entirely, the Maryland Child Victims Act gave survivors a new chance to come forward and hold their abusers accountable, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. The law allows Maryand child sexual abuse lawsuits to be filed against both individual perpetrators and the organizations that enabled their conduct, such as churches, schools and government agencies that failed to stop the abuse or actively covered it up.

While the measure was praised by Maryland survivors and advocacy groups for finally giving victims a path to justice for sexual abuse occurring within the Catholic Church and state-run institutions, it quickly drew legal and political pushback.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints challenged the law, but the Maryland Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in February 2025, allowing thousands of lawsuits to move forward. However, since the state supreme court’s ruling, the number of Maryland sexual abuse lawsuits filed against state institutions has sparked growing concern among lawmakers, leading to a political and financial backlash in the state capital.

With more than 4,500 lawsuits filed against state-run institutions, including juvenile detention facilities where children were abused, Maryland lawmakers introduced House Bill 1378 this legislative session, which was approved by the House Judiciary Committee on April 2.

House Bill 1378 seeks to limit the amount of compensation survivors can receive, effectively rolling back a key part of the Maryland Child Victims Act. While the original law was intended to give survivors a fair opportunity to hold institutions accountable, regardless of when the abuse occurred, the proposed bill would impose strict caps on damages. 

If passed, House Bill 1378 would reduce the maximum payout for claims against public institutions from $890,000 to $400,000, and lower the cap for claims against private entities, like the Catholic Church, from $1.5 million to $700,000. 

Critics argue the bill undermines the intent of the Maryland Child Victims Act, by placing financial limits on justice, as many survivors are finally stepping forward to hold their abusers accountable.

In fact, during the voting session, at least two delegates walked out following heated debate, and even some of the delegates who voted for the new bill said they did so reluctantly.

Supporters argue the legislation is necessary to protect the state’s finances, warning that the 4,500 Maryland sexual abuse lawsuits filed over incidents that occurred at state institutions could cost billions of dollars. Lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget, and many say the caps are a financial necessity.

If passed, the new limits would apply only to claims filed on or after June 1, 2025, meaning Maryland Child Victims Act lawsuits already submitted would still fall under the current, higher damage caps. Several lawmakers who supported the bill urged survivors to file before the deadline, with some even apologizing for the impact the proposal may have.

The move sparked sharp criticism from survivor advocates and religious organizations alike. In a statement issued April 2, the Maryland Catholic Conference accused lawmakers of reversing course and betraying the spirit of the Child Victims Act.

The Maryland Catholic Conference issued a statement on April 2, calling the lawmakers hypocritical.

“Since the CVA went into effect 18 months ago, thousands of claims have been made against the State of Maryland for child sexual abuse by State workers,” the Conference states. “In fact, the Maryland state government now appears to be the largest employer of child sex abusers in the State.”

Just days before the new law took effect in early October 2023, the Archdiocese of Baltimore declared bankruptcy, directly attributing the Chapter 11 filing to the anticipated flood of child sexual abuse lawsuits.