New caps on financial payouts for abuse lawsuits in Maryland go into effect on Sunday. It’s one of many new laws passed by the General Assembly this year that hit the books June 1.
In 2023, lawmakers passed the Child Victims Act, which removed the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit for abuse in Maryland. It came in the wake of a report from the state Attorney General’s Office that detailed decades of sexual abuse and misconduct within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The law allowed suits to be filed no matter how long ago the alleged abuse occurred.
In this year’s session, General Assembly leaders worried that payouts for lawsuits stemming from abuse at state institutions such as juvenile detention centers could exacerbate Maryland’s budget problems. The state had to close a more than $3 billion budget shortfall this year, and faces a larger shortfall next year.
