September 13, 2023 - SACRAMENTO – Legislation by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) that will end California's arbitrary civil statute of limitations for minors who have experienced sexual abuse was approved by the State Assembly on a bipartisan basis on Tuesday. The bill – Assembly Bill 452 – now goes to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom for his consideration.

"Assembly Bill 452 sets a new standard for institutions with minors under their care – when a child or family reports abuse, do something, don't be a bystander," Addis said. "This common sense legislation puts abusers and the institutions that harbor them on notice that California won't tolerate childhood sexual assault any longer."

The bill – introduced jointly with Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – explicitly governs future cases of sexual assault, giving institutions time to prevent future cases of child sexual assault.

Under current law, survivors who experience sexual assault as minors only have until their 40th birthday to seek justice in civil court. Assembly Bill 452 eliminates the deadline to file a civil claim for an incidence of sexual assault that arises on or after January 1, 2024.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed the Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act, which removed statute of limitations for people who were sexually abused as minors to file civil claims in federal courts. Subsequently, numerous states have eliminated the statutes at the state level.

Assembly Bill 452 now moves to the Governor for his consideration.
Source: Assemblymember Dawn Addis