---
type: "Bill"
title: "Extends statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse claims; expands categories of potential defendants in civil actions; creates two-year window for parties to bring previously time-barred actions based on sexual abuse.*"
description: "Extends statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse claims; expands categories of potential defendants in civil actions; creates two-year window for parties to bring previously time-barred actions based on sexual abuse.*"
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "218"
identifier: "S 477"
citation: "New Jersey S 477 (218)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CIVIL ACTION", "SEX OFFEND"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jasey, Mila M.", "Quijano, Annette", "Scutari, Nicholas P.", "Vainieri Huttle, Valerie", "Vitale, Joseph F."]
version_count: 2
action_count: 7
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2018-01-09T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2019-05-13T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1ec8c02b-1c0f-4d74-b83b-a65575f5017f"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "76e0deb748be82f46786cc3f1212cc9e2288dfe9a93a6193056ba522b5f95c26"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey S 477 (218) — Extends statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse claims; expands categories of potential defendants in civil actions; creates two-year window for parties to bring previously time-barred actions based on sexual abuse.*

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S0500/477_I1.HTM)
2. **Senate Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S0500/477_U1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported out of Senate committee as a substitute — **8–1** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **71–0** (pass) · lower
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **32–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jasey, Mila M. — primary (person)
- Quijano, Annette — primary (person)
- Scutari, Nicholas P. — primary (person)
- Vainieri Huttle, Valerie — primary (person)
- Vitale, Joseph F. — primary (person)
- Armato, John — cosponsor (person)
- Bramnick, Jon M. — cosponsor (person)
- Caputo, Ralph R. — cosponsor (person)
- Chaparro, Annette — cosponsor (person)
- Codey, Richard J. — cosponsor (person)
- Cruz-Perez, Nilsa — cosponsor (person)
- Cryan, Joseph P. — cosponsor (person)
- Cunningham, Sandra B. — cosponsor (person)
- DiMaso, Serena — cosponsor (person)
- Diegnan, Patrick J. — cosponsor (person)
- Downey, Joann — cosponsor (person)
- Freiman, Roy — cosponsor (person)
- Gill, Nia H. — cosponsor (person)
- Gopal, Vin — cosponsor (person)
- Greenstein, Linda R. — cosponsor (person)
- Kennedy, James J. — cosponsor (person)
- Lagana, Joseph A. — cosponsor (person)
- Mazzeo, Vincent — cosponsor (person)
- McKnight, Angela V. — cosponsor (person)
- Munoz, Nancy F. — cosponsor (person)
- Murphy, Carol A. — cosponsor (person)
- O'Scanlon, Declan J. — cosponsor (person)
- Pinkin, Nancy J. — cosponsor (person)
- Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina — cosponsor (person)
- Rice, Ronald L. — cosponsor (person)
- Ruiz, M. Teresa — cosponsor (person)
- Smith, Bob — cosponsor (person)
- Stack, Brian P. — cosponsor (person)
- Turner, Shirley K. — cosponsor (person)
- Verrelli, Anthony S. — cosponsor (person)
- Weinberg, Loretta — cosponsor (person)
- Zwicker, Andrew — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-09T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2019-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** Reported from Senate Committee as a Substitute, 2nd Reading
- **2019-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (32-1) `passage`
- **2019-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly without Reference, 2nd Reading
- **2019-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for A3648 (ACS)
- **2019-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (71-0-5) `passage`
- **2019-05-13T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2019, c.120. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1ec8c02b-1c0f-4d74-b83b-a65575f5017f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).