State and local agencies: demographic data.

Assembly Member Harabedian’s measure would create a Middle Eastern and North African Inclusion Act that establishes a dedicated MEAN demographic data framework for state and local agencies, codifying separate categories and public reporting for major MEAN groups alongside the existing Asian and Pacific Islander data structure. The core objective is to formalize how ancestry data are collected, tabulated, and disclosed, with the new MEAN data framework becoming operative at the start of 2028 and MEAN data to be included in demographic reports published from 2029 onward, while safeguarding personal identifying information.

Key mechanisms include three MEAN category groupings—major Middle Eastern, major North African, and major transnational MEAN groups—each with examples to illustrate the intended scope, and a requirement that MEAN data be included in every demographic report on ancestry or ethnic origins published on or after January 1, 2029. Aggregated MEAN data must be publicly accessible in accordance with state and federal law, including publication on agency websites, and personal identifying information must not be disclosed; data may be aggregated to higher geographic levels to prevent identification and to avoid statistically unreliable results. The measure defines local agencies to include cities, counties, and city-county entities (charter or general law) and excludes the California State University and the University of California from the state agency definition, with implementation obligations applicable to all cities and most state agencies.

In broader terms, the proposal positions MEAN data alongside the existing demographic framework while placing emphasis on privacy protections and public data access. It signals a statewide scope that includes all cities (including charter cities) and most state agencies, and it contemplates a mandate reimbursement mechanism if state-mandated costs are identified, subject to the existing reimbursements process, without an accompanying appropriation. The measure also sets a phased timeline and governance considerations for data collection, reporting, and publication, aligning with constitutional findings about privacy and the balance between public access and safeguarding personal information, and it maintains the current approach to AAPI data while expanding the scope to MEAN populations.