State Sen. Barbara A. Favola has introduced a measure in the Virginia State Senate proposing to revise the statute of limitations for civil actions tied to sexual abuse occurring during infancy or periods of incapacity, reports the Virginia State Senate.
The legislation, named SB37 and brought forward on Jan. 14, 2026, as part of the 2026 regular session, is officially described as: “Sexual abuse during infancy or incapacity; accrual.”
The following summary, based on the bill’s language, offers clarifications where necessary for understanding.
Essentially, the bill updates when a civil case for injuries resulting from sexual abuse during a person’s infancy or incapacity can be considered to have begun for the purposes of the statute of limitations. While the current approach for most claims is left unchanged, the amendment establishes that in these specific sexual abuse situations, the period starts running from the later of three occurrences: the end of infancy or incapacity, the date a licensed medical professional first informs the injured party of harm and its relationship to the abuse, or the point at which corroborative evidence is or reasonably should have been discovered. The definition of “corroborative evidence” and the scope of “sexual abuse” as incorporating certain listed sexual offenses under criminal law are specified in the measure.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Barbara A. Favola (Democrat-40th District) and Sen. Russet Perry (Democrat-31st District).
As of the session’s start, Favola has put forward 18 other bills.
Favola earned a BS degree from Saint Joseph College in 1977.
Favola, a member of the Democratic Party, secured her seat in the Virginia State Senate in 2024 to represent the 40th District, succeeding Todd Pillion.
In Virginia, the procedure for passing a bill starts with introduction by either chamber. Committee assignments follow, where the measure is debated and may be changed. If approved in committee, the bill moves to full chamber consideration and votes in both the House and the Senate. Success in both sends the bill to the governor, who may sign it, veto it, or permit it to become law without signature. Each year, the Virginia General Assembly opens its regular session on the second Monday in January and handles hundreds of proposals, with only a portion enacted.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara A. Favola and Russet Perry | SB37 | 01/14/2026 | Sexual abuse during infancy or incapacity; accrual. |
| Barbara A. Favola and Christie New Craig | SB33 | 01/14/2026 | Programs for at-risk students; permissible uses of funding. |
| Barbara A. Favola and Kannan Srinivasan | SB34 | 01/14/2026 | Incapacitated persons; finding of lack of capacity to understand act of voting. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB38 | 01/14/2026 | Firearms; transfers to another person from a prohibited person. |
| Barbara A. Favola, Kannan Srinivasan, and Angelia Williams Graves | SB58 | 01/14/2026 | Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information, etc. |
| Barbara A. Favola, David R. Suetterlein, Holly M. Seibold, and Irene Shin | SB64 | 01/14/2026 | Juveniles; commitment to DJJ, petition to extend duration of indeterminate commitment. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB70 | 01/14/2026 | Delinquency petition; referral to court service unit. |
| Barbara A. Favola, Kannan Srinivasan, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB90 | 01/14/2026 | Equity in public school funding and staffing; At-Risk Program established, Standards of Quality. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB125 | 01/14/2026 | Children’s Ombudsman, Office of the; powers and duties, report. |
| Barbara A. Favola and Mark D. Obenshain | SB171 | 01/14/2026 | Minor elementary or secondary school students admitted to inpatient treatment; discl. of discharge. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB177 | 01/14/2026 | Va. Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, consumer reproductive/sexual health information. |
| Barbara A. Favola, Aaron R. Rouse, Adam P. Ebbin, Angelia Williams Graves, Danica A. Roem, David W. Marsden, Jennifer B. Boysko, Jennifer D. Carroll Foy, Kannan Srinivasan, L. Louise Lucas, Lamont Bagby, Lashrecse D. Aird, Mamie E. Locke, Michael J. Jones, R. Creigh Deeds, Russet Perry, Saddam Azlan Salim, Schuyler T. VanValkenburg, Scott A. Surovell, and Stella G. Pekarsky | SB199 | 01/14/2026 | Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB247 | 01/14/2026 | Nursing homes; application to Commissioner of Health for change of operator license, civil penalty. |
| Barbara A. Favola and Kannan Srinivasan | SB257 | 01/14/2026 | Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB269 | 01/14/2026 | Mental health service providers; definitions, use of artificial intelligence system civil penalty. |
| Barbara A. Favola and Alfonso H. Lopez | SB296 | 01/14/2026 | County manager plan of government; affordable dwelling unit ordinance. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB332 | 01/14/2026 | Medical marijuana; administration to terminally ill patients. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB418 | 01/14/2026 | Therapeutic interchange; authorizes pharmacists to perform, adaptation of prescriptions. |
| Barbara A. Favola | SB421 | 01/14/2026 | Pharmacist; remote verification and counseling in opioid treatment programs. |
