California gay law

Insurers would be prohibited from imposing preauthorization requirement for coverage, and from denying, limiting, or qualifying coverage or increasing premiums for disability, long-term care, or life insurance policies for people on PrEP. The legislation would request the same of University of California campuses.

The bill would also prohibit the California State University campuses from charging a higher fee for correcting, updating, or reissuing a document or record based on the declaration of gender affirmation than it would be to make a change otherwise.

The law mandates that there be a sufficient number of all-gender restrooms available for students and that they remain unlocked during school hours.

Under current law, schools are not explicitly required to provide gender-neutral restrooms, according to state Sen. Josh Newman, who is behind the legislation.

"As a consequence, the frequent lack of easily accessed, explicitly gender-neutral restrooms at schools across the state remains problematic for students who do not identify with the traditional binary genders," said Newman in a press release.

SB 857: LGBTQ advisory task force in schools

This law will require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to form an advisory task force to identify statewide needs of LGBTQ+ students and make recommendations on policies that will be supportive for their well-being.

By sealing the name and gender marker change records, we are bringing the courts in line with the laws around schools not outing students ... Caregivers will need to complete training -- before being approved to be a caregiver and every year after -- that offers the necessary knowledge and skills to support children of all identities and abilities.

"Foster youth have a right to be placed in out-of-home care according to their gender identity and the right to have caregivers that have received instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and best practices for providing adequate care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children in out-of-home care," read the legislation.

It continued, "LGBTQ foster youth are currently being placed in non-affirming families that have been approved by counties and the state, causing additional harm and trauma."

AB 760: Gender identity affirmation

This law will require California State University campuses to be able to allow current students, staff, or faculty to declare an affirmed name, gender, or both name and gender identification starting in this 2023–24 academic year.

“We are thankful to our legislative partners for championing these important bills and to Governor Newsom for continuing to be such a strong ally in improving and protecting the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community as we face growing attacks from far-right extremists.”

The full list of bills signed by the Governor can be found below:

• AB 5 by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles) – The Safe and Supportive Schools Act.
• AB 223 by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) – Change of gender and sex identifier.
• AB 760 by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Fairfield) – Public postsecondary education: affirmed name and gender identification.
• AB 783 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Business licenses: single-user restrooms.
• AB 994 by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) – Law enforcement: social media.
• SB 372 by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley/Burbank) – Department of Consumer Affairs: licensee and registrant records: name and gender changes.
• SB 407 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Foster care: resource families.
• SB 760 by Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) – School facilities: all-gender restrooms.
• SB 857 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Advisory task force: LGBTQ+ pupil needs.

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