Legislation To Keep An Eye On
NO on AB665-Minors: consent to mental health services - “For LGBTQ+ youth, the rejection from parents, harassment in school, and the overall LGBTQ LGBTQ+ negativity present in society can lead to depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol use, and other negative outcomes. Over one-half of surveyed LGBTQ+ youth reported that not being able to get permission from their parents or guardians was sometimes or always a barrier to accessing mental health services.” “Providers, particularly school-based providers, find that obtaining parental consent for a youth who needs support is complicated by the parent or caretakers’ beliefs and stigma about mental health care.”
NO on AB957-Family law: gender identity - “Existing law governs the determination of child custody and visitation in contested proceedings and requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including, among other things, the health, safety, and welfare of the child. This bill, for purposes of this provision, would include a parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity or gender expression as part of the health, safety, and welfare of the child.”
NO on AB1078-Instructional materials and curriculum: diversity - “Existing law, the Safe Place to Learn Act, requires the State Department of Education, as part of its regular monitoring and review of a local educational agency, to assess whether the local educational agency has, among other things, adopted a policy that prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on specified protected characteristics. This bill would require that policy to include a statement that the policy applies to all acts of the governing board or body of the local educational agency, the superintendent of the school district, and the county superintendent of schools in enacting policies and procedures that govern the local educational agency. Because this provision would impose an additional requirement on local educational agency officials, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department, no later than July 1, 2025, to develop guidance and public educational materials to ensure that all Californians can access information about educational laws and policies that safeguard the right to an accurate and inclusive curriculum.”
There are three ballot initiatives that need our signatures to get on the ballots. Ballot initiatives are a way for the people to have a direct say in what laws we want to see. Go to Protect Kids California website, sign-up to get updates, then join us as we make a push to get signatures on these items:
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Protect Children From Reproductive Harm Act - ban gender-affirming medical care — including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery — for minors.
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Protect Girls’ Sports and Spaces Act - would forbid transgender students from participating on sports teams aligned with their gender identity. Also deals with having sex-segregated private spaces at education institutions (i.e. locker rooms and bathrooms) to protect the privacy and safety of students.
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School Transparency and Partnership Act - this mirrors so-called parental notification policies implemented in several school districts already, and would require teachers and other school staff to out transgender and gender-nonconforming students to their parents.
Stay tuned for up and coming zoom class on how to navigate California’s legislative system.
