Overview
- The Legislature is considering revisions to AB 218 this session, reviving a high‑stakes debate featured in dueling CalMatters commentaries.
- School administrators urge reforms to curb litigation costs, citing a Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team estimate of more than $3 billion in potential liabilities.
- Los Angeles Unified authorized over $500 million in bonds to cover settlements, and Montecito Union paid $7.5 million on a decades‑old case that equaled roughly 40% of its annual budget.
- Reform proponents, including ACSA’s Edgar Zazueta, highlight rising costs in shared insurance pools and float Maryland‑style caps on attorney fees as a model.
- Survivors’ attorneys oppose rollbacks as unjust, noting AB 218 closed a major loophole in 2019 and arguing most districts remain financially sound, with enrollment declines—not abuse claims—driving budget stress; prior 2025 rollback efforts, SB 577 and SB 832, failed after backlash.