LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- Bills to lift time limits to file sex assault lawsuits have cleared a state Senate committee.
It’s part of the state’s response to the Larry Nassar scandal and the issue of sexual misconduct on college campuses.
Survivors of the former MSU sports doctor’s abuse were among those who testified for the bills. The legislation would also require adults who work with student athletes to report suspicions of abuse.
Civil liberties groups and the Catholic church are among those who’ve raised concerns the proposed new rules would be too punitive and, maybe, unconstitutional.
Those arguments did not sway Senate Judiciary Chairman Rick Jones. He says coaches, trainers and other who work with student athletes take on a responsibility.
“They know what they need to do. And if they can’t do it, they need to sit in a prison cell next to Larry Nassar. That’s where they belong.”
The bills now go the state Senate floor, where they could be voted on as soon as next week.