New California law will give survivors of child sex abuse more time to file lawsuits

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) -- A new California law will give survivors of child sex abuse more time to file lawsuits.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several bills over the weekend, including AB 218.

The new legislation expands the statute of limitations by giving survivors until the age of 40 or five years from discovery of the abuse to file civil lawsuits.

The previous age limit was 26 or within three years of discovery.

The legislation also provides a three year window for survivors to file a lawsuit regardless of when the abuse occurred.

The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2020.