Sexual assault cover-up claims: who can file and by when

Who may qualify?

You may qualify if you were sexually assaulted at age 18 or older and the normal time to sue ran out before January 1, 2026. This law reopens those claims for a set period. For a claim against a company or group, you must also say it hid, or tried to hide, earlier sexual assaults or reports of assault. A lawyer can tell you whether your facts fit.

Sexual assault, in this law, means a list of sex crimes in California's Penal Code. It also includes attempts and assaults meant to commit those crimes. No criminal case is needed. If there was one, it did not have to end in a conviction.

The company or group can be almost any private business or organization. The law lists sole owners, partnerships, LLCs, corporations and associations. It may be held responsible under many legal theories, such as carelessness, harm done on purpose, or responsibility for what its workers did.

The law also reopens related claims that grow out of the assault, such as wrongful firing and sexual harassment. The bill's author said assault and harassment at work can force survivors out of their jobs.

The law reopens claims against the person who committed the assault too. Lawmakers' summary describes these as cases where a company or group also covered up. No court opinion we found has yet said exactly what such a claim needs, so ask a lawyer.

What is happening with this law now?

California's governor signed Assembly Bill 250 (AB 250) on October 13, 2025. It is chapter 682 of the 2025 laws and took effect on January 1, 2026. It rewrote part of section 340.16 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

This is a state law, not one large lawsuit. Each person brings their own claim in a California court.

As of October 5, 2026, we found no court opinion that applies the 2025 changes. We searched the CourtListener case law database. Lawmakers' analysis mentions county court rulings on the earlier law that we could not find there, so other rulings may exist.

Lawmakers passed AB 250 in part because of court arguments about the 2022 law. Some cases questioned whether that earlier window also covered claims against the abuser. AB 250 now says plainly that it does.

Who is left out of this law?

The law does not reopen claims against public entities. That covers claims against the public body itself and claims that it is responsible for someone else's acts. The law also says a public body does not have to pay on behalf of the abuser or others sued under it.

AB 250 does not define public entity. Another California law uses the term for the state, the UC and CSU systems, counties, cities, districts and public agencies. A lawyer can confirm how the term applies to the place where you were harmed.

The law does not reopen claims that a court finally decided before January 1, 2026. It also does not reopen claims settled in a written agreement between the parties before that date. If you signed something, a lawyer can read it and tell you what it covers.

This law is for assaults that happened at 18 or older. Abuse in childhood falls under a different California law with its own rules.

What could I get?

The law does not set any amount of money. We found no public court record of amounts paid under this window. What each person could recover depends on their own facts and proof.

The law reopens related claims, like wrongful firing and sexual harassment, along with the assault claim. A lawyer can explain which of these fit your facts.

What records can help?

Keep what you can safely keep. Papers that may show a cover-up can matter most. These include nondisclosure or confidentiality agreements, and notes or emails about earlier complaints. Dates matter, because courts have looked at whether the cover-up came before your assault.

If it happened through work, you can ask for your personnel file. California law lets current and former workers see it and get a copy. The employer must respond within 30 calendar days of a written request. Copies can cost no more than the actual cost of copying.

Employers must keep a worker's personnel file for at least three years after the job ends. Records about a criminal investigation are not part of that right.

You can ask doctors and counselors for copies of your records. Federal rules say they may charge reasonable costs for copying and mailing. They may not charge you to search for the records or refuse because you owe them money.

A police report can help, but the law does not require a criminal case. You can also write down names, places and dates you remember and keep the notes somewhere private.

What happens after I check?

A lawyer will likely ask about the assault, the company or group involved, and what it knew before. They will look at whether your facts fit the law's cover-up rule. They will also check whether the claim was ever finally decided or settled in writing before 2026.

Each claim is filed and decided on its own facts. Ask which court would hear it and what the next steps would be.

Ask how your privacy would be protected. In one appeals case under the earlier law, the women who sued used names like Jane Doe. A lawyer can tell you whether that may be possible for you.