JUSTICE IN ACTION

Some cases do more than seek justice. They spark change.

At Justice Law Collaborative, our work often reveals broader issues that extend beyond any one client or case. From gaps in regulation to the need for stronger protections, these moments create opportunities to improve systems and prevent harm in the future.

Justice In Action is where that work continues.

This space is dedicated to helping you get involved, whether that means contacting your legislators, supporting important initiatives, or simply staying informed on issues that matter. Each opportunity shared here is connected to real cases, real people, and the pursuit of meaningful reform.

Change happens when people speak up. When they stay engaged. When they act.

If you are looking for a way to make a difference, this is a place to start.

Sexual Assault

Don’t Let the Statute of Limitations Amendment on Child Sexual Abuse Be Removed from the MA Healthcare Bill

We are closer than we have ever been to ending Massachusetts’ outdated statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse claims, but the fight isn’t over yet.

The Massachusetts House included Amendment 110 in its version of the primary care and health care affordability bill, H.5630. This amendment eliminates the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors. Speaker Ron Mariano and the House deserve real credit for including it. Now the bill has moved to a House-Senate conference committee, where a small group of legislators will decide whether Amendment 110 survives in the final version that goes to Governor Healey’s desk before the session ends.

This is exactly the moment when quiet legislative maneuvering can strip a provision like this out of a bill. We need legislators to hear, loudly and now, that their constituents expect them to keep survivors’ access to justice in the final bill.

Here’s what Amendment 110 does:

  • Removes the deadline for filing a civil claim going forward, so survivors can sue individuals or institutions responsible for their abuse at any point in their lives.
  • Opens a two-year window for survivors whose claims have already expired under current law to revive them against both perpetrators and the institutions that enabled or concealed the abuse.
  • Extends accountability not just to abusers, but to the institutions that ignored warning signs or covered up abuse.
  • Removes the antiquated legal shield of charitable immunity for child sexual abuse claims. This 1840s doctrine continues to protect institutions, conceal dangerous predators and practices that endanger children. Massachusetts is the very worst in a handful of states that have not abolished this outdated doctrine.

Why it matters: Research shows most survivors don’t disclose their abuse to anyone until their 50s, often decades after the fact. Massachusetts’ current law caps most claims around age 53, shutting the courthouse door on survivors just as many are finally able to come forward. Nineteen states, two territories, and the federal government have already eliminated the civil statute of limitations for some or all childhood sexual abuse claims, and 31 states and three territories have passed similar revival windows. Massachusetts helped expose institutional child sexual abuse to the world; our laws shouldn’t lag behind the reforms we inspired.

Take action now: Send an already-drafted email to your State Senator and Representative asking them to urge the Conference Committee to keep Amendment 110, without changes, in the final version of H.5630.

We can protect children NOW, prevent future abuse and help adult survivors heal by holding abusers accountable with no time limits. Let’s not let the SOL amendment get quietly dropped in conference.

Here’s How You Can Help

SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR LEGISLATOR HERE!
SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR LEGISLATOR HERE!

When you submit the form at the button above, the following email will be sent, addressed to your State Senator and Representative, from you as their constituent: 

On behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse across Massachusetts, I want to call your attention to H5630, the primary care and health care affordability bill now before the Conference Committee. I am writing to ask you to ensure that Amendment 110 in H5630, the language eliminating the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors, is preserved unchanged by House and Senate Conference Committee members in their final report sent to the Governor’s desk.

Speaker Mariano and the House demonstrated real leadership by including this language in H.5630. I now urge the Senate to stand with the House and ensure it survives conference, without weakening the SOL amendment.

A few points we hope you’ll keep in mind as negotiations continue:

  • Most survivors don’t disclose their abuse to anyone until their 50s, often not until they finally have the safety, distance, or language to do so. Many survivors never find the strength to disclose. A filing deadline modeled on an ordinary accident claim misunderstands the long-term harm child sexual abuse causes and effectively shields predators and the institutions that protect them.
  • Amendment 110 fixes a gap Massachusetts created in 2014. The 2014 reform extended the statute of limitations only for abuse occurring on or after June 26, 2014, and capped most claims around age 53. It left, and continues to leave, many survivors of earlier abuse with no path to justice.
  • The Amendment holds institutions accountable, not just individuals. The two-year revival window allows survivors whose claims have already expired to bring civil claims against both perpetrators and the institutions that enabled or concealed the abuse. These are the same institutions that have too often relied on the passage of time rather than on accountability.
  • Massachusetts is lagging behind. Nineteen states, two territories, and the federal government have already eliminated the civil statute of limitations for some or all childhood sexual abuse claims; 31 states and three territories have enacted revival windows. Massachusetts exposed institutional child sexual abuse to the nation over two decades ago; it’s time our laws matched the reforms we inspired.
  • The 1840s antiquated doctrine of charitable immunity continues to protect institutions, conceal dangerous predators and practices that endanger children. Massachusetts’’ immunity cap of $20,000 is the very worst in a handful of states that have not abolished this outdated doctrine.

Survivors have waited years, in many cases decades, for this opportunity.  Please convey your support for Amendment 110 to Conference Committee members  –   Senators Friedman, Cronin and Tarr; Representatives Michlewitz, Kilcoyne and Kane. I urge you to ensure it is included and unchanged in the version of H.5630 that reaches the Governor’s desk before the end of this session.

Thank you for protecting children and standing with survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

INSTITUTION ACCOUNTABILITY

KATIE MEYER’S LAW

Katie’s story has inspired state and federal legislation aimed at protecting college students.

Nationally, H.R. 5545: Katie Meyer’s Law, sponsored by Julia Brownley, has been introduced in Congress but has not yet been passed.

The proposed law would:

  • Ensure students have the right to an independent advisor during disciplinary proceedings
  • Provide critical support during high-stress institutional processes
  • Establish reporting requirements for campus suicide incidents
  • Promote greater accountability and transparency

Katie Meyer’s Law is rooted in a simple but critical principle: students should not have to face these moments alone.

How you can help:

You can help move Katie Meyer’s Law forward.

  1. Find your representatives:
    https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
  2. Email Your Representatives
    Subject: Support for H.R. 5545 – Katie Meyer’s Law
    Ask them to support legislation that protects students and strengthens mental health safeguards. (see sample)
  3. Call Your Representatives
    A short call can make a real impact. Share why this issue matters and urge support for H.R. 5545.
FIND YOUR REPresentative
Justice Law Collaborative

Sample Email

Dear [Salutation]:

As a constituent from [City, State, Zip Code], I am writing to urge you to support H.R. 5545, Katie Meyer’s Law. This law is inspired by the life of Katie Meyer, whose tragic passing underscored the urgent need for greater protections and support for our college students. Katie Meyer’s Law will ensure students at higher education institutions have the right to select an independent adviser to help them navigate disciplinary proceedings when facing an alleged violation of the student code of conduct. It will also create new reporting requirements for campus suicide incidents. The college experience is a vital and formative time – but also a time when these young adults may feel alone or unsupported. Protecting the mental well-being of students during this vulnerable period is essential. I urge your support for H.R. 5545.

Thank you for your consideration.

Regards,

[Your Name]

SEXUAL ASSAULT

VIRGINIA’s LAW

“Virginia’s Law” is proposed federal legislation introduced in February 2026 by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Teresa Leger Fernández to eliminate civil statutes of limitations for adult victims of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

Key Details of Virginia’s Law:

Purpose: Allows survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking to file civil claims against their abusers regardless of when the abuse occurred.

Origin: Named in honor of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a prominent survivor and advocate of the Jeffrey Epstein abuse network.

Scope: Targets civil suits in federal court, removing the ability for powerful abusers to use time expiration dates as a shield against accountability.

The legislative push was announced on Capitol Hill alongside Epstein survivors and Giuffre’s family members. The effort runs parallel to demands for greater transparency in government files relating to the Epstein case.

FIND YOUR REPresentative
FIND YOUR senator
Virginia's Law

Sample Email

Dear Senator/Congressperson [Last Name],

As a constituent from [City, State, Zip Code], I am writing to urge you to support VIRGINIA’s LAW, the proposed federal legislation that would eliminate civil statutes of limitations for adult survivors of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

For far too long, survivors have been denied justice simply because trauma, fear, manipulation, or power imbalances prevented them from coming forward within an arbitrary timeframe. Many survivors need years, sometimes decades, to fully process what happened to them and feel safe enough to speak out.

VIRGINIA’s LAW recognizes this reality and ensures that powerful abusers can no longer hide behind expired deadlines to escape accountability.

Named in honor of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, whose courage helped expose one of the most notorious trafficking and abuse networks in recent history, this legislation represents an important step toward justice, transparency, and survivor empowerment.

No survivor should lose their right to seek accountability because the system failed to understand the lasting impact of trauma.

I respectfully ask you to publicly support and vote in favor of VIRGINIA’s LAW. Survivors deserve the opportunity to be heard, no matter how much time has passed.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

[Your Name]

UBER ON THE BALLOT IN CALIFORNIA IN NOVEMBER

California voters will directly decide on major ride-hailing liability legislation regarding sexual misconduct. A proposed ballot measure – backed by over 1.1 million submitted signatures – seeks to hold companies like Uber legally responsible for sexual assaults by drivers and mandate stringent, public reporting requirements.

The push for legislative and policy changes addresses the thousands of lawsuits accusing ride-share platforms of failing to protect passengers. Key elements of this movement include: 

The 2026 Ballot Initiative: The California Require Background Checks and Sexual Assault Reporting by Rideshare Companies Initiative aims to require ride-share companies to publish misconduct occurrences monthly on their websites and report them to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Liability Expansion: The measure would require ride-hailing apps to conduct more rigorous background checks, share internal risk assessment scores or hazard ratings with users before pairing, and legally hold the companies accountable for sexual assault or misconduct that occurs during trips.

Common Carrier Duties: In federal multidistrict litigation (MDL), a California federal judge ruled that Uber qualifies as a “common carrier.” This designation means the company has a heightened, non-delegable duty to ensure passenger safety, establishing a precedent that they can be held directly liable for driver misconduct.

Mandatory Reporting Laws: Existing California law and regulations already require ride-share companies to submit annual reports to the CPUC detailing the number of sexual assault claims and to immediately suspend drivers accused of violations. However, advocacy groups and the California Department of Justice have previously clashed with platforms over the transparency and disclosure of these exact reports. 

For a closer look at the pending state ballot language, you can review the official text on the California Secretary of State page. You can also track the measure’s full requirements via Ballotpedia.
 

Uber

Get in touch

At Justice Law Collaborative, every case begins with a conversation. Whether you’re seeking guidance, representation, or have questions about your legal options, our team is here to listen.

Please feel free to reach out for a free consultation using the form here or give us a call. We will ensure your message reaches the right attorney and that you receive a timely, thoughtful response.

JLC East: (508) 230-2700

JLC West: (310) 363-0030

Logo

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

JUSTICE LAW COLLABORATIVE – EAST

210 Washington St.
North Easton, MA 02356

Phone: (508) 230-2700
Fax: (385) 278-0287

admin@justicelc.com

JUSTICE LAW COLLABORATIVE – WEST

6701 Center Drive West, 1400
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Phone: (310) 363-0030

admin@justicelc.com

Disclaimer

The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Viewing this website, reading its content, or contacting Justice Law Collaborative through this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Every legal matter is unique and depends on its specific facts and circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting based on information found on this website without first seeking advice from a qualified attorney.

If you need legal advice regarding your specific situation, we encourage you to contact Justice Law Collaborative to discuss your matter.

Privacy Settings
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Youtube
Consent to display content from - Youtube
Vimeo
Consent to display content from - Vimeo
Google Maps
Consent to display content from - Google