Iowa lawmakers approve bill just in time to increase compensation for Boy Scout abuse victims

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa men who were victims of child sexual molestation while they were in the Boy Scouts of America could get higher legal compensation under a bill approved Friday by lawmakers and expected to be signed by the governor, just before the deadline to do so will expire.

The retroactive measure, which would waive the statute of limitations for victims filing a civil claim as part of the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy settlement, would take effect after Gov. Kim Reynolds signs it.

The Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 as it faced hundreds of lawsuits filed by men alleging they had been sexually abused as children by their Scout leaders and volunteers. A $2.46 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan was approved in 2022, after more than 80,000 men filed claims nationwide.

A state’s statute of limitations could decrease the damages that victims receive, according to the fund’s distribution procedures. Under the settlement terms, states had until Friday to extend their statutes of limitations.