AAUW California Bill Tracking Report 2023

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1	AAUW California Final Bill Tracking Report - 2023 Legislative Session Updated October 11, 2023
6	AAUW Public Policy Priority Pillar	Bill Number	Description	Priority	Notes	Bill Status Updates

7	ABs						Color Codes
8	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 28 (Gabriel)	Establishes an excise tax on licensed firearms dealers, firearms manufacturers, and ammunition vendors to fund programs that address the causes and harms of gun violence. The revenues would go to 1) CA Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program, 2) school mental health/behavioral services & school safety measures, 3) firearm relinquishment grant program 4) improve investigations & clearance rates in firearm homicide, assault & other investigations. Amendments would prohibit a licensed firearms dealer, firearms manufacturer, or ammunition vendor to operate without a valid permit.	C		Signed by Governor 9/26/23	Priority	Bill Status
9	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 223 (Ward)	It places petitions for a sex/gender identifier and name change under seal for persons under the age of 18.	C		Signed by Governor 9/23/23	A	To the Gov*
10	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 230. (Reyes)	adds to existing bill to provide menstrual products in classroom Grades 3-12 which previously was grade 6th-12th.	C		Signed by Governor 10/7/23	B	Signed by Gov
11	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 254 (Bauer-Kahan)	Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) would be revised so the definition of “medical information” includes reproductive or sexual health information, which the bill would define to mean information related to a consumer’s reproductive or sexual health collected by a reproductive or sexual health digital service, thus protecting medical providers and users.	C		Signed by Governor 9/27/23	C	2-year Bill
12	Economic Security for All Women	AB 260 (Santiago)	Requires persons who are employed to teach adult or community college classes part time to receive compensation in at least an amount that bears the same ratio to the amount provided to full-time employees as the time actually served by those part-time employees bears to the time actually served by full-time employees with comparable duties. A large number of women are part time faculty.	C	See figure 3 for demographic breakdown of faculty (postsecondary ed): https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/csc/postsecondary-faculty	2-year bill	Watch	In Committee*
13	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 398 (Pellerin)	Replacement ballots will be provided upon request. Previously replacement ballots required a signed statement under penalty of perjury stating that voter has lost, failed to receive original ballot.	C		Signed by Governor 10/10/23		Vetoed by Gov
14	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 467 (Gabriel)	This bill would allow judges to modify the terms of a domestic violence (DV) restraining order (RO) even after the defendant has completed his/her sentence and/or is no longer on probation, if deemed to be in the best interest of the victim. (Gives victims more agency)	C		Signed by Governor 6/29/23	*Look for action alerts. If you want to receive alerts, sign up HERE.
15	Economic Security for All Women	AB 518 (Wicks)	Last year’s Assembly Bill 1041 (Wicks), gave workers the right to take paid sick leave and unpaid job-protected leave to care for chosen or extended family, AB 518 would give workers the right to receive Paid Family Leave (PFL) wage replacement benefits while on leave, ensuring California workers can afford to be there for their loved ones when it matters most: during serious illness, injury recovery, and other situations that require care.	C	Chosen family legal def: https://astanehelaw.com/2022/12/22/in-2023-california-workers-may-designate-chosen-family-members-for-protected-leave-under-the-california-family-rights-act/	2-year bill
16	Economic Security for All Women	AB 524 (Bauer-Kahan)	This bill would prohibit discrimination against employees based on their status as a family caregiver, making it unlawful for employers to refuse to hire, fire, demote, or take other adverse employment action against workers because of their family responsibilities.	B		Vetoed by Governor
18	Economic Security for All Women	AB 549 (Wilson)	Would require all state agencies, in consultation with the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, to conduct an evaluation of their own departments to ensure that the state does not discriminate against women through the allocation of funding and the delivery of services.	A	Potential partnership w/ Commission on the status of women in supporting this legislation and co-sponsorship https://women.ca.gov/policy/	2-year bill
21	Economic Security for All Women	AB 596 (Reyes)	This bill seeks to address the outdated reimbursement model for child care workers to ensure they are paid more equitably. This legislation will also make child care more accessible to all families by suspending the family fee waiver until a sliding scale for family fees can be established to make it possible for low-income families to access affordable child care. This bill is similar to AB92 (Gomez Reyes) which AAUW CA co-sponsored in the 2021-22 legislative session and was vetoed by the Governor.	C		2-year bill
23	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 718 (Ta)	Establishes a program to fund an academic study of mental health among female veterans in CA. Report due 7/31/25. Spot bill.	Watch		2-year bill
24	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	AB 789 (Berman)	In order to maintain a Cal Grant or federal financial aid, students must meet certain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards, governed by Section 1091 of Title 20 of the United States Code and Section 668.34 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Adds flexibility under federal law to SAP to allow students to not lose grants.	C		Signed by Governor 10/9/23
25	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 793 (Bonta)	The bill seeks to enact legislation to protect the privacy of those seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care by limiting surveillance of and access to reverse-search records (reverse-location/reverse-keyword). The bill seeks to build on existing privacy protections, such as HIPAA and CPRA. Spot bill.	C		2-year bill
26	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 884 (Low)	Increases number of languages required for ballots and voter information.	C		2-year bill
27	Economic Security for All Women	AB 933 (Aguiar-Curry)	Existing law protects employees making sexual harassment complaints from being sued for defamation. This bill would expand existing protections (in F1-2) for anyone communicating about their complaint. Seeks to prevent chilling impacts on reporting.	C		Signed by Governor 10/10/23
28	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	AB 942 (Fong)	The bill would amend Section 66262.5 of the Education Code relating to post-secondary education, which seeks to align CA policy with federal Title IX provisions. Specifically, the bill would amend CA EdCode to include sexual harassment of students as a form of sex-based harassment and discrimination prohibited under CA EdCode. This appears to be a semantic shift in the labeling of sexual harassment as explicitly sex-based discrimination, which would align with the expansion of the definition of “sex” (and accompanying protections) as seen in federal policies in the wake of Bostock re: gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy (e.g. Title VII, Title IX and EEOC policy).	C		2-year bill
29	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	AB 1054 (Berman)	The legislation would ensure all California public high schools have access to computer science courses.	C		2-year bill
30	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 1057 (Weber)	“The California Home Visiting Program (CHVP) is designed to be a preventative intervention by focusing on positive parenting and child development for families who are at risk for adverse childhood experiences. Would provide more flexibility for the needs of specific families and communities by expanding use of already approved home visiting program and nursing models.	C		Vetoed by the Governor
31	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 1071 (Hoover)	This bill would authorize and encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide teen dating violence prevention (TDV) education to all pupils in grades 7-12, at least once in middle school and once in high school. It also requires the District to make TDV resources available on it’s website.	B		Signed by Governor 7/13/23
32	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	AB 1078 (Jackson)	This bill would require school districts to adopt a policy that prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on protected characteristics and applies the policy to the governing board, the superintendent of the school district, and the county superintendent of schools. Expands the diversity of social science curriculum. If a school district determines that there is an insufficient number of textbooks or instructional materials, they must submit a report to the county superintendent of schools within 3 business days and take steps to remedy the deficiency. If the deficiency is not remedied, the Department of Education must purchase textbooks or instructional materials for the school. The bill also requires instruction in social sciences to include a study of the role and contributions of people of all genders, Latino Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, and other ethnic cultural religious and socioeconomic status groups. If the school district has not provided sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, their local control funding formula allocation will be reduced. If the state determines that this bill has imposed new costs, the state will reimburse local agencies and school districts for those costs. This bill will take effect immediately as an urgency statute.	B		Signed by Governor 9/25/23
33	Economic Security for All Women	AB 1190 (Irwin)	Currently the governing board of a community college district may provide compensation for office hours to part-time faculty. On and after July 1, 2024, the governing board of a community college district shall provide compensation for office hours to part-time faculty. Compensation paid to part-time faculty under this article shall equal at least one paid office hour for every two classes or more taught each week or 40 percent of a full-time load, and one-half paid office hour for every class or 20 percent of a full-time load.	C	See figure 3 for demographic breakdown https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/csc/postsecondary-faculty	2-year bill
34	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 1194 (Carrillo)	The bill adds protection to those seeking reproductive care in CA, especially for consumers from out of state. This legislation would provide an abortion exemption to the CA Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA). If enacted, the bill would specify that a consumer assessing, procuring or searching for an array of reproductive services including abortion, does not constitute a natural person being at risk for danger of death or serious physical injury, which is currently an exemption for protection by CPRA.	C		Signed by Governor 10/9/23
35	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	AB 1245 (McCarty)	This bill would require community college districts to waive the fees of students who are employed as childcare providers.	C		2-year bill
36	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	AB 1394 (Wicks)	This bill seeks to help child sex abuse survivors remove their images from social media platforms, holding big tech accountable for design features that knowingly, recklessly or negligently facilitate, aided or abet child exploitation.	A	Co-sponsor bill	Signed by Governor 10/7/23
37	SBs
38	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 36 (Skinner)	provide protections and supports for any person fleeing prosecution, conviction, or sentence in another state for seeking abortion, contraception, reproductive care, or seeking gender-affirming care and for any person assisting the person seeking that care.	B		2-year bill
39	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 89 (Ochoa Bogh)	This bill would amend CA’s Stalking statute (P.C Sect 646.9) to include abuse or threats of abuse to pets as a basis of invoking the statute.	C		2-year bill
40	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 257 (Portantino)	This bill would provide for no out-of-pocket costs to an individual when breast imaging is recommended after a routine mammogram.	C		Vetoed by the Governor
42	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	SB 342 (Seyarto)	An act to amend Section 51284.5 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction. Financial literacy at all levels K-12	Watch		2-year bill
43	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 345 (Skinner)	Intends to create increased access to medication abortion and gender-affirming care through the use of telehealth, as well as offering some protections to providers in California for providing this health care. Spot bill.	C		Signed by Governor 9/27/23
45	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 376 (Rubio, S.)	State the legislature’s intention to create a “data-informed, evidenced-based estimate of the prevalence of human trafficking in California”	Watch		Signed by Governor 7/21/23
46	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 385 (Atkins)	Authorize physician assistants (PA) expanded options for training to achieve clinical competency to perform aspiration abortions during the first trimester without the presence of a supervising physician or surgeon and not be punished.	C		Signed by Governor 9/8/23
47	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 487 (Atkins)	Another state’s law authorizing civil action against a person who receives and person or entity that in any way performs, provides, or aids an abortion is contrary to the public policy of California. This bill prohibits application or enforcement of another state’s law in California. It expands to protect providers as well as performers.	C		Signed by Governor 9/27/23
48	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	SB 521 (Smallwood -Cuevas)	Despite this protection some professors do not always provide accommodations for lactating students, medical appointments or other parental obligations. This can result in poor academic performance which can lead to a loss of CALWORKS benefits. This bill would require a “good cause” exemption from CalWORKS sanctions imposed on pregnant, parenting, and lactating students who are not being adequately accommodated under Title IX.	C		Signed by Governor 10/9/23
49	Economic Security for All Women	SB 533 (Limon)	This bill would state the intent of the legislature to enact legislation that would allow a credit against taxes for businesses that provide childcare. Spot bill. (Language coming 03/22)	C	Companion bill to Reyes bill (AB); part of two bill childcare package (same team of cosponsors working on both bills)	2-year bill
50	Economic Security for All Women	SB 631 (Cortese)	This bill would require the state to look at differences in workers' compensation benefits between male and female employees. They will examine things like differences between industries, rate of claim denial, and compensation paid. The comparison will be done by the Administrative Director in collaboration with the University of California at Berkeley and the results will be reported to the Legislature within 6 months.	C		2-year bill
51	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 646 (Cortese)	This bill grants a cause of action to those who were depicted in certain sexual images when they were minors (under 18 years of age). The person or entity distributing this material can be sued for actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, or any combination of those for up to $200,000 in statutory damages. The bill also requires online services and websites available in California to create a method of contact and agent to report any violations of these provisions, and to destroy material subject to these provisions after any investigations have been completed.	C		2-year bill
52	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 667 (Dodd)	“Nurse-midwives play a critical role in delivering maternity care.” This bill will clarify the existing law and make it easier for nurse-midwives to provide essential healthcare services, especially when it comes to low income communities. ”Also, this bill “cuts through redundant requirements that might limit a certified nurse-midwife from practicing to the full extent of their scope and training.”	C		Signed by Governor 10/8/23
53	Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society	SB 680 (Skinner)	SB 680 (formerly SB 287) prohibits a social media platform from using a design, algorithm, or feature that the platform knows, or by the exercise of reasonable care should have known, causes child users to experience addiction to the social media platform. A social media platform is not in violation of the bill if they have a program of at least quarterly audits of its designs, algorithms, and features that have the potential to cause violations of the provision described above, and the social media platform corrected, within 30 60 days of the completion of the audit, any design, algorithm, or feature discovered by the audit to present more than a de minimis risk of violating that provision. This bill would subject a social media platform that knowingly and willfully violates these provisions to a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 per violation, an injunction, and an award of litigation costs and attorney’s fees in an action brought only by certain public attorneys, including the Attorney General. Existing law imposes specified	A		2-year bill
54	Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students	SB 857 (Laird)	This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to create a task force to assess the needs of LGBTQ+ pupils in schools. The task force would be required to create a report outlining their findings and recommendations about ways to improve LGBTQ+ pupil education and well-being by the year 2026. Existing law already requires the State Department of Education to develop resources for in-service training to improve the overall school climate and support LGBTQ+ pupils in grades 7-12.	C		Signed by Governor 9/24/23
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