Opinion: Will California lawmakers break their promise to child sexual abuse survivors?

"Related: Tax dollars should fund children's education, not attorneys' fees in child sex abuse cases Lobbyists for school districts, public employee unions and insurance interests are again pressuring California legislators to emasculate Assembly Bill 218, a measure legislators enacted unanimously in 2019 to close a gaping loophole in the statute of limitations that let schools avoid civil liability for enabling or covering up child sexual abuse by teachers and staff."

"Last year intense lobbying by anti-AB 218 forces resulted in two bills, which failed to advance to floor votes after an enormous backlash from survivors and victims' advocates. Senate Bill 577, authored by Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, proposed some reasonable modifications of existing law, but the bill was hijacked. School districts, counties and Joint Powers Authority lobbyists insisted on amendments to drastically reduce survivors' access to compensation."

"These same powerful forces are again poised to introduce draconian AB 218-related reforms in the 2026 session that would make it difficult, if not impossible, for survivors to obtain full compensation. What's most troubling is the intentionally opaque way AB 218-related bills are being discussed. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has reportedly assigned a group of lawmakers to explore solutions that strike the right balance of liability for"

AB 218 was enacted unanimously in 2019 to close a statute-of-limitations loophole that allowed schools to avoid civil liability for enabling or covering up child sexual abuse by teachers and staff. Awareness increased of the psychological, cultural and economic barriers that discourage victims from disclosing abuse, often for many years, and of ongoing mass abuse cases. The Miramonte Elementary case involved a Los Angeles Unified teacher who posed and photographed third graders eating cookies laden with his semen; he is serving a 25-year sentence. Lobbyists for school districts, public employee unions and insurance interests have repeatedly pressured legislators to weaken AB 218 and limit survivors' compensation. Two bills (SB 577 and SB 832) failed after survivor backlash, but powerful interests plan further AB 218-related reforms in 2026 using opaque processes that could drastically reduce survivors' access to full compensation.

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