Civil Rights & Liberties

Expands temporary restraining orders in divorce cases to prevent insurance policies from lapsing starting January 2027. Prohibits both parties from removing children from the state without written consent or court approval. Requires 5-day advance notice to the other party before making any extraordinary expenditures.

Establishes penalties up to $1 million for social media platforms that promote discriminatory content through algorithms. Requires large social media platforms generating over $100 million annually to monitor algorithmic content delivery. Doubles civil penalties when platforms knowingly harm minors through discriminatory content. Prohibits platforms from waiving liability for civil rights violations caused by their algorithms.

Extends the deadline to file claims for a deceased person's pain and suffering damages until January 1, 2030. Requires courts to collect and report data on pain and suffering damage awards through July 2029. Expands reporting authority to allow any party in a lawsuit to submit settlement and judgment information. Mandates the Judicial Council to report comprehensive claims data to the Legislature by January 2029.

Establishes a process for abuse survivors to quickly terminate an abuser's access to connected smart devices and accounts. Requires companies to disable abuser access within 2 business days of receiving a verified protection request. Prohibits companies from charging fees or notifying abusers when their device access is terminated. Imposes penalties up to $2,500 per violation on companies and abusers who fail to comply with the law.

Streamlines the process for gender identity-related name changes by requiring courts to approve adult petitions within 6 weeks. Eliminates the requirement for court hearings unless specific objections showing good cause are filed. Requires parental notification for minors' petitions but removes general public's ability to object to gender identity changes. Provides immediate legal protections by declaring this an urgency measure to protect against discrimination.

Requires immediate enforcement of court orders against illegal voting districts even during appeals. Authorizes the Secretary of State to pause enforcement if needed for orderly election administration. Mandates violating jurisdictions to reimburse counties for all election costs from enforcement actions. Takes effect for new voting rights cases filed after January 1, 2026.

Requires small businesses to receive written notice of accessibility violations before facing statutory damages. Grants businesses with 50 or fewer employees 120 days to fix accessibility violations before legal action. Protects small businesses from statutory damages and attorney fees if violations are corrected within 120 days. Prevents plaintiffs from bypassing notice requirements by filing general ADA discrimination claims.

Extends protections against discriminatory jury selection to most civil cases indefinitely. Prohibits removing jurors based on race, gender, religion, orientation, or other protected characteristics. Requires courts to evaluate peremptory challenge objections using specific criteria and remedies. Applies to civil rights, hate crime, civil commitment, and dependency cases.

Requires law enforcement training to combat foreign government harassment of immigrant communities by 2027. Establishes guidelines for identifying digital surveillance and physical threats against diaspora groups. Mandates culturally sensitive outreach to affected communities and coordination with federal authorities.

Requires state agencies to collect demographic data on discrimination and harassment complaints starting July 2026. Mandates annual public reporting of complaint data while protecting individual privacy. Establishes new confidentiality rules for complaint-related information. Requires the Civil Rights Department to track actions taken on complaints including lawsuits and timelines.

Establishes comprehensive regulations for automated decision systems that make important decisions affecting individuals' lives. Requires developers to conduct annual performance evaluations and third-party audits of automated decision systems starting 2030. Mandates that organizations notify individuals when AI systems are used to make decisions about them and allow appeals. Authorizes penalties up to $25,000 per violation and enables enforcement by state agencies and city attorneys.

Establishes a Small Business Right to Cure Program protecting qualifying businesses from accessibility damages until 2034. Requires small businesses to obtain certified specialist inspections and post compliance notices to qualify for protection. Mandates commercial property owners to disclose accessibility inspection status in all lease agreements. Prohibits charging attorney fees to plaintiffs unless their accessibility claims are proven frivolous.

Requires developers to assess high-risk AI systems for discrimination before deployment starting January 2026. Mandates companies notify individuals when AI systems are used in decisions affecting their rights or benefits. Establishes penalties up to $25,000 for AI systems that discriminate based on protected characteristics. Prohibits state agencies from contracting AI systems unless certified to comply with civil rights laws.

Expands privacy protections for all gender marker and name change court records to prevent discrimination. Requires courts to seal and limit access to these records by December 31, 2026. Prohibits public posting of confidential records and allows civil lawsuits for unauthorized disclosures. Authorizes damages up to $5,000 plus attorney fees for privacy violations by private entities.

Extends the Commission on the State of Hate's operations until January 1, 2031 to continue monitoring hate crimes. Requires the commission to host four public forums annually on hate crime trends and emerging issues. Mandates annual reports to the Governor with hate crime statistics and policy recommendations. Authorizes the commission to seek federal grants and additional funding beyond state resources.

Requires California State University to develop policies for reburying Native American remains on university land. Mandates consultation with California Indian tribes on burial locations and cultural protocols. Requires mutual agreement between tribes and university on all reburial site selections. Establishes protections for long-term stewardship and confidentiality of burial sites.

Requires private and public employers with 100+ employees to submit annual pay data reports on employee demographics. Mandates employers to store demographic data separately from personnel files to enhance privacy. Establishes penalties up to $200 per employee for failing to submit required pay data reports. Extends pay data reporting requirements to state civil service employers starting May 2027.

Requires the Civil Rights Department to launch statewide anti-discrimination media campaigns by July 2026. Establishes an 11-member working group of experts to develop and implement the media campaign strategy. Mandates that campaign focus on specific communities be proportional to reported hate crime rates. Requires legislative funding approval before the program can begin operation.

Requires courts to accept electronic filing of all restraining order petitions at no cost to petitioners. Authorizes remote court appearances for restraining order hearings without charging fees. Mandates courts to post online instructions for electronic filing and remote appearances. Allows alternative service methods when personal service cannot be completed after diligent effort.

Requires state and local agencies to collect detailed demographic data for Middle Eastern and North African groups by 2028. Mandates agencies to publish anonymized ethnic data in all demographic reports starting January 2029. Prohibits disclosure of personal identifying information while requiring public access to aggregated data. Requires agencies to update ethnic categories within 18 months after each U.S. Census release.

Prohibits gender discrimination in youth sports programs run by local governments and schools. Requires equal access to facilities, equipment, coaching, and practice times for all genders. Establishes specific criteria for courts to evaluate discrimination claims in youth athletics. Allows individuals to file civil lawsuits against agencies that violate these requirements.

Establishes a new Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within the Department of Justice to verify eligibility and manage reparations. Creates a Property Reclamation Division to investigate and compensate victims of racially motivated property takings. Requires strict protection of personal and genetic information collected for descendant verification. Authorizes compensation through return of taken property, grant of alternate property, or financial payment.

Requires the Governor's office to publish a comprehensive list of state boards and commissions by 2027. Mandates annual reporting of demographic data for state appointments starting January 2028. Establishes public transparency requirements while protecting appointee privacy. Creates standardized reporting of voluntary demographic data across legislative appointments.

Expands legal protections against forced marriages by allowing victims to challenge marriages beyond the 4-year limit. Requires courts to accept late marriage nullification petitions if victims of forced marriage show good cause. Criminalizes forced marriage equally regardless of the victim's age at the time of the offense.

Requires California cities and counties to collect detailed ancestry data for Black employees starting January 2027. Mandates additional demographic categories to track descendants of American Freedmen in local government hiring. Ensures privacy protection and secure handling of all collected demographic data. Provides state reimbursement to local governments for costs of implementing new data collection requirements.