California lawmakers pass protections for pregnant women in prisons and ban on legacy admissions
SACRAMENTO, California — California could expand protections for pregnant women in prison, ban admissions through a regular program at private universities and impose new requirements on universities to address gender discrimination on campus, state lawmakers passed proposals Tuesday.
California’s Democratic-dominated Legislature is voting on hundreds of bills in the final week of the session to send to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, with a deadline of Saturday.
The Democratic governor then has until September 30 to sign the bills, veto them, or let them become law without his signature. In recent years, he has often problems with the state budget in rejecting legislation he would otherwise support.
Below are some of the bills that lawmakers approved on Tuesday.
Every California State University and University of California campus should have an office designated to handle complaints of sexual harassment under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. They should also have a systemwide office that oversees efforts to address gender discrimination on campuses.
Lawmakers introduced the bill as part of a package of legislation to address sexual misconduct and gender discrimination on college campuses after the state auditor found in recent years that University of California And University of the State of California systems have handled complaints incorrectly.
The bill now goes back to the General Assembly for final approval by the Legislative Assembly.
The Senate has approved bills to expand protections for pregnant women in prison.
It would ban pregnant women and women up to 12 weeks postpartum from being placed in solitary confinement. It would also require pregnant women to be given clean bottled water daily and meals that meet the nutritional guidelines of the state’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
Another bill would require pregnant women to be referred to a social worker within a week of entering prison to discuss parenting options. Mothers who have just given birth would be required to remain in a medical facility for as long as their medical provider deems necessary. Each mother would be given time to bond with her baby in the medical facility, and she would be allowed to pump and store her breast milk after returning to prison so it can be fed to the newborn.
The proposals still need final approval from the General Assembly before they reach Newsom’s desk.
California lawmakers sent Newsom a bill on Tuesday that would dramatically reduce the number of empty prison beds in the state by 2030. The legislation, touted as a cost-saving measure during a tough budget year, also aims to push the state to close more prisons.
There are about 15,000 empty prison beds in the state and it costs millions a year to maintain them, proponents of the bills said. The proposal would gradually reduce that number to 2,500 empty beds over the next six years, potentially giving the state the opportunity to close five state prisons in the future.
California’s prison population has declined rapidly over the past decade following federal court intervention and the COVID-19 pandemic. Opponents of the proposal, including law enforcement, say it would force people into smaller spaces and take away space for rehabilitation programs in state facilities.
The Senate has passed a bill that would prohibit private, nonprofit organizations from giving preference in the admissions process to applicants who are relatives of alumnae or donors to the school. This will no longer be possible starting in September 2025.
The aim is to give students a fair chance of accessing higher education, regardless of their socio-economic status.
Old schools’ admissions came under renewed scrutiny after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year positive action rejected upon admission to university.
If the General Assembly approves the final version of the bill, it will be sent to Newsom.
___
Associated Press editor Tran Nguyen contributed to this report.
Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna