California’s K-12 schools will soon take sweeping new steps to prevent sexual abuse and improve staff accountability, under a new law signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The legislation — Senate Bill 848, authored by Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Alhambra) — requires all public and private schools to strengthen training, reporting, and tracking systems related to sexual misconduct. The measure takes effect January 1.
Statewide Reforms for Safer Classrooms
The new law directs schools to:
- Train teachers, coaches, and staff on how to prevent and report sexual misconduct.
- Broaden the list of mandatory reporters required to act on abuse allegations.
- Adopt clear codes of conduct defining appropriate behavior between staff and students.
- Create a statewide database of teachers under investigation for credible misconduct — a first-of-its-kind tool intended to keep accused staff from quietly transferring to other schools.
That database, to be managed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, will be updated whenever allegations are cleared or substantiated.
“For survivors, this is an important step toward justice,” Pérez said. “It’s been very personal for me.”
Pérez has previously shared her own experience with inappropriate attention from a teacher while in high school, inspiring her to author the bill.
A Costly History Behind the Reform
California schools have paid more than $3 billion in settlements since the passage of AB 218 in 2020, which expanded the ability of victims to sue over past abuse. Some districts have struggled financially as they absorb those costs.
In Santa Barbara County, for example, Montecito Union School District — with just 350 students — recently paid $7.5 million, nearly half its annual budget, to settle claims tied to abuse that occurred in the 1970s.
Nearby Carpinteria Unified says similar lawsuits have strained its finances, forcing program cuts and staff reductions.
Another Bill Stalls
A separate proposal, SB 577 by Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), sought to help school districts manage mounting legal payouts while still compensating survivors. The bill failed to pass the Assembly this session.
Laird said he plans to reintroduce it in 2026.
“We have to find a way to protect survivors’ access to justice while ensuring our schools can stay solvent,” he said.
Ongoing Debate Over Accountability and Cost
The stalled legislation drew strong opposition from attorneys who represent abuse survivors, some of whom criticized SB 577 as shielding institutions. Advocacy groups argue that more—not fewer—safeguards are needed, including potential criminal penalties for staff who fail to report abuse.
Supporters of SB 848, meanwhile, see the new law as a foundational reform.
Ben Adler of the California State Association of Counties called it a necessary first step toward a system that ensures both justice for survivors and financial stability for public agencies.
“There has to be a way to protect victims without bankrupting schools,” Adler said. “This conversation is far from over.”
