If you were sexually assaulted as an adult in California and later learned that a company, clinic or other organization had hidden earlier complaints about the same person, a 2025 law called AB 250 may give you a path to court that did not exist before. It revives certain AB 250 cover-up claims that had expired, and it gives survivors until December 31, 2027 to file them.
Before the legal details: if you are struggling right now, you can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) at any hour, or call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. More options are in our guide to support resources for survivors in California. This is general information as of October 31, 2026, not legal advice.
What AB 250 does, in one table
AB 250, the Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act, was approved by the Governor and chaptered on October 13, 2025 as Chapter 682 of the Statutes of 2025. It added subdivision (e) to Code of Civil Procedure § 340.16, the statute of limitations for sexual assault that happened on or after a survivor's 18th birthday. It took effect January 1, 2026.
| Law | AB 250 (Stats. 2025, ch. 682), Code of Civil Procedure § 340.16(e) |
|---|---|
| Who | Survivors assaulted on or after their 18th birthday |
| Which claims | Claims that would otherwise be barred before January 1, 2026 solely because the time limit expired |
| Filing window | January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 (cases already pending on January 1, 2026 may proceed) |
| Against an organization | Requires an allegation that the entity covered up, or tried to cover up, an earlier assault or allegation by the same perpetrator |
| Against the perpetrator | Revived without a cover-up allegation |
| Not covered | Public entities; claims litigated to finality or settled in writing before January 1, 2026 |
Unlike AB 2777's general revival, which reaches only assaults on or after January 1, 2009, the statute sets no earliest assault date.
Key California datesNot to scale · conditions and exceptions apply
What counts as a "cover-up" under AB 250?
The statute defines the term in § 340.16(e)(5)(A). In full, a "cover up" means "a concerted effort to hide evidence relating to a sexual assault that incentivizes individuals to remain silent or prevents information relating to a sexual assault from becoming public or being disclosed to the plaintiff, including, but not limited to, the use of nondisclosure agreements or confidentiality agreements."
A few points about that wording:
- Agreements can count. The definition names nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements as examples, but it is not limited to them.
- It must involve the same person. Under § 340.16(e)(2)(B), the entity, "including, but not limited to, their officers, directors, representatives, employees, or agents," must have "engaged in a cover up or attempted a cover up of a previous instance or allegations of sexual assault by an alleged perpetrator of such abuse."
- An attempt is enough to allege. The statute covers an attempted cover-up as well as a completed one.
Some questions about this definition have not yet been answered by appeals courts as of October 2026. These include how much coordination makes an effort "concerted," and whether the "previous" instance must come before your own assault or only before the cover-up.
Who can be sued, and who cannot
Private organizations
AB 250 defines "entity" as "a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or other legal entity, other than a public entity." That can include employers, private medical groups, private schools, hotels, religious organizations and nonprofits. The entity must be "legally responsible," which the statute defines as liable "under any theory of liability established by statute or common law, including, but not limited to, negligence, intentional torts, and vicarious liability."
The person who committed the assault
Section 340.16(e)(3) revives claims against the perpetrator when the survivor alleges they were sexually assaulted and that one or more persons or entities, including the perpetrator, are legally responsible. According to the Senate Judiciary Committee's June 2025 analysis, the cover-up allegation is required only for claims against entities.
The statute also protects each claim separately. Under § 340.16(e)(4), failing to allege a cover-up against one entity "does not affect revival of the plaintiff's claim or claims against any other entity or person, including the perpetrator."
Public entities are excluded
AB 250 does not revive any claim "brought against a public entity," including direct, derivative and vicarious liability claims. That means public school districts, public universities, cities, counties, state agencies and police departments are outside this window. The statute adds that a public entity has no duty to indemnify the perpetrator or other persons for revived claims "under Section 825 of the Government Code or any other law." So a revived claim against a public employee personally would not be paid by the government. Adult claims against public entities also generally need a written government claim within six months under Government Code § 911.2, which is a separate hurdle.
Related employment claims can come along
Section 340.16(e)(6) says AB 250 "revives any related claims, including, but not limited to, wrongful termination and sexual harassment, arising out of the sexual assault that is the basis for a claim." If you lost a job or faced retaliation after an assault, those claims may be revived too. See our guide to sexual assault by a supervisor at work.
Claims AB 250 does not revive
Under § 340.16(e)(7), the window does not reach:
- A claim litigated to finality in a court before January 1, 2026.
- A claim "compromised by a written settlement agreement between the parties" entered into before January 1, 2026. If you signed a settlement with one party, whether it affects claims against someone else depends on its terms, so bring the document to a lawyer.
- Any claim against a public entity.
AB 250 does not change the usual civil burden of proof (§ 340.16(e)(8)), and the ordinary deadlines in subdivisions (a) and (b) still apply (§ 340.16(e)(9)).
AB 250 and AB 2777: two windows, two dates
Many survivors fit one window, some fit both, and some fit neither. Our guide to the AB 2777 deadline covers the other law in detail.
| AB 2777 revival | § 340.16(b)(3). Assaults on or after January 1, 2009. No cover-up element in the text. Must be filed by December 31, 2026. |
|---|---|
| AB 250 revival | § 340.16(e). No earliest assault date. Cover-up required for claims against an organization, not for claims against the perpetrator. Private entities only. Must be filed by December 31, 2027. |
| Ordinary deadline | § 340.16(a). Ten years from the assault, or three years from discovering a resulting injury or illness, whichever is later. |
If your claim fits AB 2777, the earlier date is the safer one to plan around. Counting on AB 250 as a backup is risky, because a cover-up has to be alleged and then proven, and the window does not reach public entities. Our sexual abuse deadline finder can give you a rough first read on which rule may apply.
Examples (hypothetical, for illustration only)
These are invented situations, not real cases.
Example 1: an assault in 2004 at a private company
A survivor was assaulted by a manager in 2004. Years later, she learns the company had received complaints about the same manager, paid the earlier complainants under confidentiality agreements and quietly moved him to another office. AB 2777's general revival does not reach a 2004 assault. AB 250 may: she could allege a revived claim against the manager, and against the company if she alleges it covered up or tried to cover up the earlier allegations. Related wrongful termination claims could come along if she was pushed out afterward.
Example 2: a 2015 assault with no known prior complaints
A survivor was assaulted in 2015 by a provider at a private clinic. Nothing suggests anyone at the clinic knew of earlier complaints. The AB 2777 window, which requires no cover-up, may allow claims against both the provider and the clinic if filed by December 31, 2026. If that date passes, AB 250 may still revive the claim against the provider through 2027, but a claim against the clinic would need a cover-up allegation.
Example 3: a public university employee
A survivor was assaulted in 2011 by an employee of a public university. AB 250 excludes the university as a public entity. A revived claim against the employee personally may be possible, but the university has no duty to pay it on the employee's behalf.
What evidence of a cover-up can look like
You do not need this evidence before talking to a lawyer; much of it sits in an organization's own files and comes out in the legal process. In general terms, signs of a cover-up include:
- Earlier complaints, reports or HR files about the same person that were closed without real action.
- Settlements, severance agreements or nondisclosure agreements with other people who complained about the same person.
- The person being transferred, reassigned or allowed to resign quietly, then working with new people.
- Instructions to staff not to discuss complaints, or pressure on people to stay silent.
- Missing, altered or destroyed records, or reports that never reached people who should have seen them.
- Other lawsuits or news reports describing earlier allegations against the same person.
California has limited secrecy clauses for a while. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1001, settlement provisions that prevent disclosure of factual information about sexual assault and sexual harassment claims are void if entered into on or after January 1, 2019, though a survivor can still ask to keep their own identity confidential.
Filing privately and on time
A claim under AB 250 must be "commenced," which in a California civil case means a complaint filed in superior court, by December 31, 2027. A report to police or HR does not stop the clock. Building a cover-up allegation takes investigation, so it helps to start well before late 2027.
Filing as Jane Doe or John Doe may be possible. Courts decide those requests case by case, and our guide to filing a sexual abuse lawsuit as Jane Doe explains how it works. You do not need a police report, a criminal charge or a conviction to file a civil case.
How LaCour helps adult survivors
LaCour Trial Lawyers represents adult survivors across California, including people assaulted at work and by medical providers. The first conversation is free and confidential, we have Spanish-speaking lawyers and staff, and there is no fee unless there is a recovery. We never pay anyone for a referral or a claim, and we will never ask anyone to change or exaggerate what happened. Learn more about our sexual abuse and institutional abuse practice, or ask for a free, confidential review.
Frequently asked questions
This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.