SB 577 Explained: California’s New Childhood Sexual Abuse Law and What Changes on January 1, 2027

By Gary Partamian, Attorney · Partamian Law Firm, Pasadena · Updated October 2026

If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse in California, or you love someone who is, you may have heard that a new law “rolls back” survivors’ rights, or that it only affects lawsuits against the government. Neither summary is quite right. SB 577 changes one deadline that matters to many survivors, adds new hurdles for certain claims against public entities, and creates new child-protection duties for schools, counties, and youth facilities. This guide walks through what the chaptered text actually says, who it affects, and what to do before January 1, 2027.

What is SB 577?

SB 577 is a 2025-26 California bill by Senator John Laird that rewrites several rules for childhood sexual abuse lawsuits and for lawsuits against public entities. After passing the Assembly 49-20 and the Senate 24-10 on August 30, 2026, it was signed and chaptered on September 30, 2026, and becomes law on January 1, 2027.

For survivors, the key sections are Code of Civil Procedure 340.1 and 340.11 (deadlines, certificates of merit, treble damages), new section 340.12 (public entity proof rules), and Civil Code section 1431.2 (shared fault). It also adds prevention rules for schools, foster care, and juvenile facilities.

In his signing message, the Governor described the bill as an attempt “to thread the needle of protecting and compensating children from vile and inhumane treatment, while simultaneously ensuring our most important public institutions do not crumble under the threat of oppressive, and in some cases outright fraudulent claims of abuse.” He called it “an important and necessary first step toward reform” and asked the Legislature to keep working on the issue. For survivors, the practical question is simpler: what do I need to do, and by when?

How does SB 577 change the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations in California?

For abuse that happened before January 1, 2024, SB 577 shortens the discovery-based deadline from five years to three years, starting January 1, 2027. The age-based deadline does not change.

Under the amended CCP section 340.11(a)(1), a survivor must file “within 22 years of the date the plaintiff attains the age of majority or within three years of the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that psychological injury or illness occurring after the age of majority was caused by the sexual assault, whichever period expires later.” Twenty-two years after turning 18 is age 40.

The three-year rule is not limited to public entities. Section 340.11(a)(1) lists the claims it covers: claims against the person who committed the abuse, claims against any person or entity that owed the survivor a duty of care, and claims against any person or entity whose intentional act caused the abuse. Some online summaries say that claims against private schools, churches, or individual abusers keep the five-year window. The chaptered text does not support that. The three-year discovery period applies to all of these defendants.

SB 577 also does not include a clear transition rule for survivors whose five-year discovery period is still running on January 1, 2027, but whose three-year period would already be over. Courts have not yet addressed this. If you connected your injuries to the abuse more than three years ago and are relying on the five-year rule, talk to a lawyer now rather than assuming you will have extra time.

Issue	Before SB 577	After January 1, 2027
Discovery window, abuse before 1/1/2024	5 years from discovery	3 years from discovery, for all defendants
Age-based deadline, abuse before 1/1/2024	Until age 40	Unchanged: until age 40
Abuse on or after 1/1/2024	No time limit	Unchanged: no time limit
Survivor 40+ suing a public entity	Must show the entity knew or had reason to know of misconduct, or failed to take reasonable steps	Clear and convincing proof of actual knowledge and failure to take reasonable steps, and negligent discharge of a mandatory duty (cases filed on or after 1/1/2026)
Treble damages for a cover-up	Up to treble damages, unless barred by another law	Not available against a public entity
Certificates of merit (plaintiff 40+)	Required; missing certificates were grounds for a demurrer	Must be filed with the complaint; the clerk will not accept the complaint without them
Economic damages against a public entity	Joint liability rules applied	Proportional to fault if the entity is 15% or less at fault (suits filed on or after 1/1/2027)
Paying a judgment	No special rule	A public entity may elect to pay damages over time

What does SB 577 change for lawsuits against a public entity?

Survivors who sue a public entity, such as a public school district, county, or city, face a higher burden of proof if they are 40 or older, fewer available damages, and new rules about how a judgment is paid.

• Clear and convincing evidence (CCP 340.12). A survivor who files on or after January 1, 2026, at age 40 or older, against a public entity must prove two things by clear and convincing evidence: that the entity knew of misconduct that resulted in the abuse and failed to take reasonable steps or safeguards, and that it negligently discharged a mandatory duty. The older test in section 340.11(c), which still applies to all entities, is broader: the entity “knew or had reason to know, or was otherwise on notice” of misconduct, or failed to take reasonable steps. The new public entity standard requires actual knowledge. It does not apply where a judgment has been entered or there is a final settlement.
• No treble damages. Amended sections 340.1(b)(3) and 340.11(b)(3) state that cover-up treble damages “shall not apply to a defendant that is a public entity.”
• Remittitur factors and payment over time. For survivors 40 or older, a court reviewing a request to reduce a verdict must consider the entity’s public mission and economic status, whether the award is compensatory or works like punitive damages, the severity of the harm, and how egregious the conduct was. A public entity may also elect to have damages paid over time.
• Shared fault (Civil Code 1431.2). In any personal injury or wrongful death case filed against a public entity on or after January 1, 2027, a public entity found 15 percent or less at fault pays economic damages (such as medical bills and lost earnings) only in proportion to its share of fault. This applies to all injury suits against public entities, not only abuse cases.

Some things did not change. SB 577 does not cap damages, and survivors still do not have to file a government claim before suing over childhood sexual abuse (CCP 340.11(s)). For more on how these cases work, see our guide to suing an institution for sexual abuse in California.

What does SB 577 not change?

SB 577 does not touch the most important protection added in recent years: there is still no deadline for childhood sexual abuse that happened on or after January 1, 2024. That rule, from a 2023 law (AB 452), lives in CCP section 340.1(a).

• The age-40 deadline for pre-2024 abuse stays the same.
• Recordings and images. For pre-2024 abuse involving obscene material (Penal Code 311.1 or 311.2), the separate 10-year discovery rule in section 340.11(a)(2) is unchanged.
• Adult survivors. Claims for sexual assault that happened at 18 or older fall under CCP section 340.16, which SB 577 does not amend. That section includes a revival window, from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, for certain cover-up claims against private entities. If you were assaulted as an adult, see our page on working with a Los Angeles sexual assault lawyer, because those deadlines are separate.
• Private defendants and the burden of proof. The new clear and convincing standard in section 340.12 applies only to public entities. Survivors suing private schools, churches, or youth organizations still face the 340.11(c) rule for filing at 40 or older, but not the new 340.12 burden.

How could SB 577 apply? Three examples

These are simplified, general illustrations, not predictions about any real case. Every survivor’s timeline depends on facts a lawyer needs to review.

Example 1: A 35-year-old survivor who connected the abuse to her depression in 2023. Because she is under 40, the age-based deadline (age 40) is later than either discovery window. SB 577’s change from five to three years would generally not shorten her deadline. If she sued a public school district, the 340.12 burden would not apply because she would be under 40 at filing.

Example 2: A 44-year-old survivor who made the connection in therapy in mid-2023. Under the five-year rule, his window would run to mid-2028. Under a three-year rule, it would have run out in mid-2026. Because SB 577 has no clear transition rule, a defendant could argue a complaint filed after January 1, 2027 is late. This is the person who should speak with a lawyer right away.

Example 3: A 45-year-old survivor suing a public school district over abuse in the 1990s, who connected her injuries in 2025. Her three-year window would generally run into 2028. Because she is over 40 and suing a public entity, her attorney and a licensed mental health practitioner must file certificates of merit with the complaint, and at trial she must meet the clear and convincing standard. Treble damages would not be available against the district. If she also had a claim against a private party, those claims would follow different rules.

New rules for lawyers and new protections for children

SB 577 also targets bad-faith claims and adds prevention duties, several of which focus on Los Angeles County.

• Penalties for bad-faith claims. New Business and Professions Code section 6095.2 makes an attorney personally liable for a $25,000 civil penalty per violation if a judge finds the attorney brought or maintained a childhood sexual abuse claim in bad faith. A judge cannot find bad faith based only on delayed disclosure, missing or destroyed records, dismissal on legal grounds, or losing. CCP section 1038 also expands when public entities can recover defense costs from bad-faith suits.
• Codes of conduct. By December 1, 2027, local governments and school agencies must adopt codes of conduct, sexual assault prevention plans, and written policies on reporting grooming and abuse concerns.
• Grooming training. Mandated reporter training under Penal Code 11165.7 must now cover grooming behavior, and certain employers, including those employing peace officers, probation officers, and social workers, must ensure the training is taken at least every two years.
• Foster and residential care. The Department of Social Services must place a children’s residential facility on enhanced monitoring for at least 12 months after two credible allegations in 12 months or one substantiated allegation. The Foster Care Ombudsperson and juvenile justice agencies must also develop stronger oversight plans.
• Attorney General investigation. New Penal Code section 11054.6 directs the Attorney General to investigate systemic sexual abuse of minors at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar, and MacLaren Children’s Center in El Monte, along with reports of fraudulent claims. A report to the Legislature is due by June 30, 2029.

What should survivors do before January 1, 2027?

If your abuse happened before 2024 and you are 40 or older, or close to it, get a confidential case review before January 1, 2027. Waiting is the one choice that can only make your options narrower.

• Write down, as best you can, when you first understood that your struggles were connected to the abuse. That date may decide which window applies.
• Note who was responsible for you at the time: a public school, a church, a youth program, a foster agency, or a county facility.
• Do not wait to gather every record. Your lawyer can help obtain records, and certificates of merit take time to prepare.
• You can read more about deadlines in our guide on how long you have to file a childhood sexual abuse lawsuit in California, and about our childhood sexual abuse and sexual abuse practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• SB 577 (Laird), chaptered text, Chapter 971, Statutes of 2026
• SB 577 bill history, California Legislative Information
• Governor’s signing message for SB 577 (September 30, 2026)
• California Code of Civil Procedure section 340.11
• California Code of Civil Procedure section 340.1
• California Code of Civil Procedure section 340.16 (adult survivors)

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different. Speak with an attorney about your specific situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Partamian Law Firm, 301 N Lake Ave, Suite 600-Unit 61, Pasadena, CA 91101.