CJAC Statement on Whistleblower Bounty Hunter Bill

Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 24, 2026) — The Civil Justice Association of California’s President and CEO Jaime Huff today released the following statement regarding Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo’s introduction of AB 2021, the Whistleblower Bounty Hunter bill:

“California is the home of lawsuit abuse, which drives up costs on everybody. With a major Los Angeles law firm already under investigation for allegedly paying people to make faulty claims against deep-pocketed defendants, this bill would effectively reward and embrace that model at the government level. AB 2021 turns state regulatory enforcement into a system that benefits bounty hunters and their lawyers.

“Voters are demanding relief from the lawsuit abuse fueling California’s cost-of-living crisis – which means curbing it, not rewarding it with state-funded bounties.”

AB 2021 (Schiavo) would create a special fund within the California Privacy Protection Agency to payout whistleblowers and their attorneys for making claims against California companies.