New law will protect kids, help survivors heal and hold institutions accountable

East County News Service

October 14, 2019 (Sacramento) -- California took a gigantic step for child protection last week when Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Child Victims Act, Assembly Bill  218.  The bill passed the state Senate unanimously and the Assembly by a 64 to 3 vote, with local Assemblyman Randy Voepel casting one of the few votes against the measure.

The new law goes into effect January 1, 2020. The law provides a three-year window for sexual abuse survivors to bring lawsuits against perpetrators and institutions that protected them in cases that were previously barred by the statute of limitations, no matter when the abuse occurred. Aside from the window, the bill also changes the statute of limitations and raises the age limit to file a sexual abuse lawsuit from age 26 to age 40, or within five years of the date a survivor discovers the psychological injury or illness caused by the abuse (whichever comes later).