Pedophiles in Kansas who have avoided criminal charges and lawsuits from survivors could soon see the inside of a courtroom under a new state law amending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse.

Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday signed House Bill 2127 into law, capping a multiyear effort to reform the statute of limitations, which imposes a limited time frame for survivors to seek justice.

"It has been a tough and long-fought battle, but thanks to the courageous survivors who came forward to share their stories, this important piece of legislation will finally become law in the state of Kansas," said Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park.

Holscher had been the driving force behind the proposal, working for four years to convince her colleagues to take up the issue while amplifying the voices of survivors. Last month, as the Senate debated the bill, Holscher for the first time publicly shared her own story of an attempted sexual assault.

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She was 5 years old, playing with kittens in a barn on the family farm, when a farmhand suggested they play a game that involved showing their private parts. The sound of a slamming screen door sent the man fleeing, saving Holscher from joining the estimated 1 in 10 children who are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.

"If it has taken me this long, over 47 years, to speak about the abuse that almost happened, can you please understand why it takes years, often decades, for victims of sexual abuse to come forward?" Holscher asked.

For survivors who don't go to law enforcement until later in life, state law has barred criminal charges and civil lawsuits.

Once the law goes into effect July 1, prosecutors can pursue criminal charges for child sex abuse crimes at any time. Previously, some such crimes had a limit of five years.

Child sex abuse survivors can wait until they turn 31 to file lawsuits. Previously, they only had until their 21st birthday. They also get a three-year lookback window if the perpetrator is convicted of a crime.

More: Is Kansas 'a sanctuary state for predators'? Child sex abuse survivors push legal reform.

"This is breakthrough legislation that will keep our children and communities safer by permitting our state to get more predators off our streets, while building a foundation to allow more survivors of childhood sexual violence to pursue justice," Holscher said.

The new law was a compromise negotiated between advocates and Republican legislative leadership.

The legislation passed the House and Senate unanimously after months of grassroots lobbying from survivors, who set up an advocacy table near the Statehouse entrance that lawmakers walked by every day. Kelly thanked survivors for their bravery and said the legislation would not have been possible without their work.

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"This was a team effort by courageous survivors who showed up at the Capitol every day to meet with legislators and worked tirelessly to make sure they were heard," said Sen. Usha Reddi, D-Manhattan, who had shared her story about being sexually abused by her father.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: New Kansas law reforms child sex abuse crime statute of limitations