SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - A California Bill driven partly by prosecutors' trouble in pursuing sexual assault charges against Bill Cosby cleared its first legislative obstacle on Tuesday (April 12).

It passed a committee that formerly rejected efforts to permit prosecutions for crimes that victims say happened years prior.

The Bill would do away with the state's 10-year statute of limitations on rape and child molestation charges.

Previous versions of the Bill were unsuccessful years ago in the Senate Public Safety Committee. However, the new Bill by Senator Connie Leyva passed the committee by a 4-0 vote following testimony by witnesses.