California legislative leaders have struck a long-sought compromise over how the state handles lawsuits filed by survivors of childhood sexual abuse at public schools, county facilities and other government-run institutions — a deal that preserves victims’ right to sue for unlimited damages while offering some financial relief to the cash-strapped public agencies facing those claims.
The agreement, announced Thursday, caps a two-year legislative struggle to balance the interests of abuse survivors against the mounting costs faced by school districts, cities and counties across California, including many in the Inland Empire, that have been hit with a wave of lawsuits and rising insurance premiums since state law dramatically expanded who can sue over childhood sexual abuse.
Under the new deal, lawmakers rejected proposals that would have placed a dollar limit on how much survivors could recover from public entities found responsible for abuse committed by employees or occurring on their properties. Advocates for survivors had strongly opposed any cap, arguing it would effectively put a price on the trauma of abuse. Local governments and school officials, meanwhile, had pushed hard for limits, saying they were necessary to keep agencies financially solvent.
While survivors avoided a cap on damages, the compromise does impose new evidentiary hurdles for some plaintiffs. Survivors older than 40, along with those whose cases predate 2024 — when the state eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims — will now need to provide stronger proof of their claims, particularly in cases where records have since been destroyed.
Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, a Santa Barbara Democrat, said the negotiations were guided by a dual focus on “protection and prevention,” adding that she was pleased lawmakers found common ground that both preserves survivors’ access to justice and addresses the financial strain on public institutions.
Chantel Johnson, a spokesperson for the Youth Law Center, which advocates on behalf of abuse survivors, praised lawmakers for turning back what she called some of the more damaging proposals floated during negotiations, while welcoming the bill’s new prevention requirements.
“The fiscal pressures facing counties and other public entities are real, but the harm that created those costs is even more consequential,” Johnson said in a statement.
Representatives for cities, counties and school districts had countered that public dollars should go toward serving today’s students and residents rather than funding large settlements and enriching plaintiffs’ law firms. Beyond the direct cost of settlements and jury awards, many public agencies have seen liability insurance premiums skyrocket, forcing budget cuts to staffing, programs and facility upgrades — a trend felt acutely by school districts throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The legislation amends Senate Bill 577, originally authored last year by Sen. John Laird, which collapsed in the final days of the 2025 session amid disagreements over how to handle claims tied to Los Angeles County’s juvenile detention system. That system was at the center of a $4 billion settlement reached last year with survivors of abuse at the now-closed MacLaren Children’s Center. The new version of the bill removes a contested provision that would have set a cutoff date for filing claims related to county-run juvenile facilities.
Beyond addressing existing claims, the bill lays out new prevention measures aimed at reducing future abuse in public institutions. Counties, cities and school districts will be required to submit codes of conduct and sexual abuse prevention plans to the California Attorney General’s Office by Jan. 1, 2028. That office would then report to the Legislature on which agencies fail to comply. The bill also broadens the list of professionals legally required to report suspected abuse or grooming, adding peace officers, probation officers and social workers to the list of mandatory reporters.
To address concerns about fraudulent claims, the agreement includes a provision fining attorneys $25,000 if they are found to have filed a child sexual abuse lawsuit in bad faith.
The Legislature has until Monday to vote on the measure in both chambers. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office declined to comment Thursday, though people familiar with the discussions said the governor has signaled he would sign whatever compromise reaches his desk.
Original source: CalMatters
