Top Takeaways More lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse have been filed against school districts than were predicted when a 2020 law enabling the suits was passed. Lawmakers are looking for a way to curb the financial impact of the suits, but balancing victims’ rights against public dollars is a challenge. Calls for a state victims’ compensation fund to ease costs are opposed by trial lawyers. In what’s likely to be one of the most contentious issues facing the California Legislature in 2026, lawmakers are again debating whether to reform a 2020 law that lifted the statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse lawsuits. That law, Assembly Bill 218, sparked a blitz of costly litigation against schools and other public agencies. California Assembly Speaker Robert RivasCredit: California Assembly The debate over the law pits childhood abuse victims and their advocates seeking justice for long-ago and life-damaging assaults, and public agencies counting every dollar in an uncertain economy and shaky budget year. A similar effort stalled last year. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has assigned a group of lawmakers to “explore solutions that strike the right balance on this critical issue,” his spokesperson wrote in an email. Among possible reforms sought by school districts and other public agencies are a state-paid settlement through a victims’ compensation fund, a cap on payouts to victims who file claims, a limit on attorney fees, and a higher legal standard to prove a claim, say those who support the change.Since AB 218 became law, school districts have…
