CHARITABLE-IMMUNITY LAWS
January 4, 2006 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Massachusetts legislature is considering a bill to eliminate charitable-immunity protections that limit payment liabilities for the Catholic church and other nonprofit organizations found guilty in sexual-abuse cases involving minors, reports The Boston Globe. Currently, civil cases involving charities limit payments to $20,000, which some say has discouraged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests from coming forward. New Jersey lawmakers voted to repeal such limits in sexual abuse cases last month. Another bill to be considered in the Massachusetts House of Representatives would force churches and other religious charities to file financial statements with the state, a bill that has already passed the Senate.
