AB 250 Claims: Records to Gather and Dates to Know

Papers about earlier complaints, any agreements you signed, and work records can help. Gather what you safely can. Claims reopened by AB 250 can be filed through December 31, 2027.

Which records can help show a cover-up?

Anything that shows an earlier assault or report, and how it was handled before your own assault. That can mean secrecy agreements, and notes or emails about earlier reports. Keep copies in a private place.

The dates on these papers matter. Courts reading the 2022 law said the cover-up had to come before the assault of the person suing.

Write down names, places and dates you remember. You do not need every record before you talk with a lawyer.

How can I get papers from my job?

California law gives you rights to some work records. You can ask for a copy of any paper you signed to get or keep a job. You can also ask for your personnel file and pay records.

For a personnel file, ask in writing. The employer must give a copy within 30 calendar days and may charge only the cost of copying. Employers must keep these files for at least three years after the job ends.

A former worker can make one request a year. Records of a criminal investigation are left out, and the employer may black out the names of coworkers who were not supervisors.

If you sue the employer over a job matter, this right to see your file pauses while that case is going on. A lawyer can tell you when to ask.

For pay records, the employer must respond within 21 calendar days and may charge the cost of copying. Pay records show your hours and pay, which a lawyer may find useful.

What if I signed a confidentiality agreement?

Bring it to a lawyer and let them read it. Since 2019, California has voided many terms in deals that end a case if they stop people from sharing facts about a sexual assault or sexual harassment claim. A term that keeps the amount paid private is still allowed.

Those rules cover agreements that settle a claim filed in court or with a government agency. A term that hides your name can be included if you ask, unless a government agency or official is part of the deal.

Job agreements have limits too. Under current law, an employer cannot make you sign a paper that stops you from sharing information about unlawful acts at work, as a condition of the job or for a raise or bonus.

If an agreement about leaving a job limits what you can share, it must say it does not stop you from discussing unlawful acts at work, such as harassment. The employer must also tell you that you can talk to a lawyer, and give you at least five business days to do so. Different rules can apply to settling a claim you already filed.

Which dates should I write down?

Write down when each assault happened and how old you were. Add when you first understood it harmed you, and when you told anyone or reported it. Note the dates of earlier complaints you know about, and of any agreements you signed.

Several rules depend on these dates. The usual limit is 10 years from the last assault, or 3 years from when you found out, or should have found out, that it caused an injury, whichever is later.

A 2022 rule reopens some too-old claims about assaults on or after January 1, 2009; those can be filed until December 31, 2026. The AB 250 window runs until December 31, 2027.

If you ever filed a case or signed a settlement about the assault, write down those dates too. Claims finally decided or settled in writing before January 1, 2026, are not reopened.

How does the 2026 to 2027 window work?

Some claims from assaults at 18 or older that were too old to file before January 1, 2026, can be filed from that date through December 31, 2027. Claims against a company must also say it hid earlier abuse. Some claims are left out.

The window is for claims whose usual time limit had already passed. If your usual limit has not passed, you may not need the window at all. A lawyer can check which rule fits.

Claims already in court on January 1, 2026, may go on. The window does not change what you have to prove. It only reopens the time to file.

What happens when I share records with a lawyer?

A lawyer can tell you which records matter most and what else may help. Keep your originals. Get any fee terms in writing before you sign.

In California, a contract that pays a lawyer a share of the money must be in writing, signed by both of you, with a copy for you. It must state the fee rate and how costs affect what you receive.

Looking through old papers can bring up a lot. RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is free, confidential and open 24/7 at 800-656-4673, by text to 64673 with the word HOPE, or by chat at RAINN.org/hotline.