California to eliminate statute of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits under new law

California will eliminate the statute of limitations for people to file lawsuits over allegations of child sexual assault under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Tuesday. 

The new law won’t apply to any instances of sexual assault that occurred before the bill takes effect at the start of 2024. But moving forward, it will eliminate what advocates say is an unfair deadline California law now places on people who suffered abuse as children.

Survivors of child sexual abuse often only grapple with what happened to them later in their lives, supporters of the new law say. Minors who are sexually assaulted often don’t think they will be believed, are too ashamed to tell anyone or fear there will be negative consequences if they speak out. 

The first version of the bill that Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Assembly Member Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, introduced this year would have eliminated deadlines for filing such lawsuits entirely, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred. 

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