SAN DIEGO — Starting Jan. 1, sexual assault victims in California who were unable to file civil suits against a private entity or an institution due to expired statute of limitations will now be able to take legal action.
Assembly Bill 250 creates a two-year window that allows sexual assault cases to be revived if they have already surpassed the statute of limitations. But it only applies to cases involving private individuals, entities or institutions such as: private employers, business owners or churches.
It will also review cases if there was a cover-up involved that prevented victims from filing a civil suit within the proper time frame.
This window will not include cases involving public entities like schools and police departments.
Why is Assembly Bill 250 needed?
Sexual assault survivors can sometimes take years to come forward due to complex trauma and might miss the window of opportunity to seek justice.
Other laws such as Assembly Bill 2777 and the Child Victims Act take healing time into account, but the laws have not included institutions. They have also predominantly focused on children, as more information about sexual assault cover-ups within the Catholic Church became public.
This bill also holds entities that covered up the crime accountable and revives any related claims like wrongful termination or workplace harassment connected to the assault.
The look-back window is open from January 1, 2026 until Dec. 31, 2027.
