§ 354.6.Second World War Slave Labor Or Forced Labor Victims

Title 2. Of the Time of Commencing Civil Actions · Chapter 4. General Provisions as to the Time of Commencing Actions · Enacted 1999 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 354.6 lets Second World War slave labor or forced labor victims and their heirs sue for compensation, so long as the action was commenced on or before December 31, 2010.

Full Text of § 354.6

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) As used in this section:

(1) "Second World War slave labor victim" means any person taken from a concentration camp or ghetto or diverted from transportation to a concentration camp or from a ghetto to perform labor without pay for any period of time between 1929 and 1945, by the Nazi regime, its allies and sympathizers, or enterprises transacting business in any of the areas occupied by or under control of the Nazi regime or its allies and sympathizers.

(2) 'Second World War forced labor victim" means any person who was a member of the civilian population conquered by the Nazi regime, its allies or sympathizers, or prisoner-of-war of the Nazi regime, its allies or sympathizers, forced to perform labor without pay for any period of time between 1929 and 1945, by the Nazi regime, its allies and sympathizers, or enterprises transacting business in any of the areas occupied by or under control of the Nazi regime or its allies and sympathizers.

(3) "Compensation" means the present value of wages and benefits that individuals should have been paid and damages for injuries sustained in connection with the labor performed. Present value shall be calculated on the basis of the market value of the services at the time they were performed, plus interest from the time the services were performed, compounded annually to date of full payment without diminution for wartime or postwar currency devaluation.

(b) Any Second World War slave labor victim, or heir of a Second World War slave labor victim, Second World War forced labor victim, or heir of a Second World War forced labor victim, may bring an action to recover compensation for labor performed as a Second World War slave labor victim or Second World War forced labor victim from any entity or successor in interest thereof, for whom that labor was performed, either directly or through a subsidiary or affiliate. That action may be brought in a superior court of this state, which court shall have jurisdiction over that action until its completion or resolution.

(c) Any action brought under this section shall not be dismissed for failure to comply with the applicable statute of limitation, if the action is commenced on or before December 31, 2010.

End

Plain-English Summary

Section 354.6 defines two categories of World War II victims — those taken from a concentration camp or ghetto to perform unpaid labor, and civilian or prisoner-of-war laborers forced to work without pay under the Nazi regime or its allies between 1929 and 1945. Either category of victim, or their heirs, may sue the entity that used their labor, directly or through a subsidiary or affiliate, for compensation.

Compensation is defined as the present value of unpaid wages and benefits plus damages for related injuries, calculated with interest compounded annually and without any reduction for wartime or postwar currency devaluation. As with the other historical-claims sections in this chapter, the action escapes dismissal for missing the ordinary statute of limitations only if it was commenced on or before December 31, 2010.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can victims of Nazi-era forced labor still sue for compensation in California?

Yes, if the action was commenced on or before December 31, 2010. Section 354.6 lets Second World War slave labor and forced labor victims, or their heirs, sue for compensation from the entities that used their labor.

How is compensation calculated under § 354.6?

The section defines compensation as the present value of unpaid wages and benefits, plus damages for related injuries, with interest compounded annually and no reduction for wartime currency devaluation.

Amendment History

EFFECTIVE 7/28/99. Added7/28/1999 (Bill Number: SB 1245) (Chapter 216).

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from the California Legislative Information. Enacted by the California Legislature. Last verified July 28, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: nazi forced labor lawsuit californiaworld war two slave labor compensation claim