California Lawmakers Reach Anti-Fraud Deal on Child Sex Abuse Suits After $4 Billion County Settlement
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 28
California Lawmakers Reach Anti-Fraud Deal on Child Sex Abuse Suits After $4 Billion County Settlement
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 28
Summary
A last-minute Sacramento deal would add anti-fraud measures and require more evidence in some child sex abuse cases, while leaving damages uncapped and the expanded filing window intact.
The compromise follows mounting fiscal pressure on schools and cities after California’s 2019 law extended the age cutoff to 40 and eased suits against public entities.
Los Angeles County’s $4 billion settlement last year — described as the largest U.S. child sex abuse settlement — intensified the fight, with prosecutors alleging up to 4 in 5 claims could be fraudulent.
Local agencies say the costs are already hitting budgets: one city paid more than $229 million, a small district borrowed to cover a $5.75 million settlement, and some school insurance costs have roughly quadrupled since 2019.
Survivor advocates and plaintiffs’ lawyers backed preserving the law’s core access to justice, while county and school officials warned that without tighter safeguards, public services face growing strain.