AB 250 Window: Who Is Left Out and What Else May Apply

The 2026 to 2027 window leaves out claims against public bodies and claims finally decided or settled in writing before 2026. Other rules may still apply. A lawyer can check.

Which claims does the window leave out?

Three kinds. Claims a court finally decided before January 1, 2026, and claims settled in a written agreement before then. Any claim against a public body is left out too.

The public-body rule is broad. It covers every kind of claim against a public body, including claims that it is responsible for what its workers did.

A Senate committee analysis says a nearly identical 2024 bill, AB 2587, did not leave out public bodies. That bill died in a Senate committee. The analysis says AB 250 left out public bodies to ease some concerns.

What if both a public body and a private company were involved?

The window may still reach the private company. The law leaves out claims against public bodies, not claims against private businesses or groups. A lawyer can check whether the other rules are met.

The law counts almost any private business or group as an entity, such as a corporation, partnership or association, but not a public body.

If you cannot show a cover-up by one company, that does not end your claims against another company or person.

Contractors, nonprofits and companies working on public sites may raise hard questions. Bring any names you know to a lawyer.

What if the person who assaulted me worked for a public body?

Ask a lawyer. The law reopens claims against the person who committed the assault. It also says a public body does not have to pay on behalf of that person for claims under this window.

California law calls a worker of a public body a public employee. Whether a claim against that person can go forward is a question a lawyer can answer.

Another California law lists what counts as a public body, such as the state, counties, cities, districts and public agencies. AB 250 does not define the term itself.

What does “finally decided” or “settled in writing” mean for me?

The window does not reopen a claim a court finally decided before 2026. It also does not reopen a claim settled in a written agreement before then. A case still going on January 1, 2026, may continue.

If you signed something when you left a job, or to end a dispute, bring a copy to a lawyer. Whether it settled your claim depends on what it says.

California law lets a worker ask for a copy of papers they signed to get or keep a job. Other papers, like a settlement, may not be covered.

Is there another route if the window leaves me out?

Possibly. California’s usual time limits still apply: 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. AB 250 says it does not stop anyone from using those rules.

A separate 2022 rule reopens some too-old claims about assaults on or after January 1, 2009, in cases filed on or after January 1, 2019. It runs until December 31, 2026.

That rule has its own exclusions, keyed to an earlier date. It does not reopen claims finally decided, or settled in writing, before January 1, 2023.

Its list of exclusions does not mention public bodies. But claims against public bodies have their own filing rules, so a lawyer would need to check.

What if I was under 18 when it happened?

Then a different law applies. California has no time limit for childhood sexual assault that happened on or after January 1, 2024. For earlier abuse, the rules in place on December 31, 2023, apply.

That law covers claims against the abuser and against others whose acts or carelessness helped cause the abuse. A lawyer can check which rules fit your dates.

What happens when I check?

A lawyer will likely ask who employed the person who assaulted you, and whether a public body was involved. They will ask about any earlier case or agreement. Get any fee deal in writing before you sign.

In California, a contract that pays a lawyer a share of the money must be in writing and signed by both of you. If it leaves out the required terms, you can choose to cancel it, and the lawyer is then owed a reasonable fee.

Support is there whenever you need it. RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is free and confidential, 24/7: call 800-656-4673 or text HOPE to 64673.