15 – AB 960 – Equal Protection for All Families Act

Year: 2015

Category: Medical, Family, Social/Political

Bill Description:

This bill would modernize California’s assisted reproduction laws to protect families using assisted reproduction. Current law puts intended parents using this method of reproduction and their children at risk due to discrepancies in parental rights.

15 – SB 703 – Require Companies Who Contract with the State of California to Provide Insurance Benefits to Transgender Employees

Year: 2015

Category: Workplace, Social/Political, Medical

Bill Description:

This bill prohibits state agencies from doing business with companies that fail to offer transgender employees the same healthcare coverage and benefits they offer all other workers. This would reduce disparities in healthcare coverage for transgender people.

15 – SB 731 – Supporting Transgender Foster Youth

Year: 2015

Category: Family, Housing, Social/Political

Bill Description:

This bill would require that caregivers tasked with placing California foster youth in homes must take a young person’s gender identity into consideration when making housing decisions. The bill is designed to ensure that all foster youth, including those who identify as transgender, are placed in appropriate homes where they feel safe and accepted.

15 – AB 329 – CA Healthy Youth Act

Year: 2015

Category: Educational, Social/Political, Medical

Bill Description:

Update and strengthen existing law to ensure that students receive sex education that is accurate, comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate and inclusive. LGBT students are too often made to feel invisible, or worse, stigmatized in health classes. LGBT-inclusive education has been shown to have a positive effect on school climate overall and make LGBT youth feel safer in school. AB 329 will thus lead to greater understanding and acceptance of LGBT youth and families. Additionally, the bill will update curriculum on prevention of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and pregnancy.

15 – AB 827 – Help Teachers Combat Bullying and Support LGBT Youth

Year: 2015

Category: Educational, Social/Political

Bill Description:

This bill will give teachers tools and resources to support LGBT students and create safer school environments. LGBT students have a higher dropout rate than their non-LGBT peers and are four times more likely to attempt suicide. AB 827 will give teachers the information they need to help LGBT students who may need particular support in the coming out process or dealing with bullying.

15 – AJR 16 – Resolution on FDA Blood Donation Policies

Year: 2015

Category: Social/Political, Medical

Bill Description:

This resolution calls upon President Obama to encourage the Secretary of Health and Human services to direct the FDA to develop science-based protocols that focus on assessing individual risk and to change, once and for all, its outdated and discriminatory policy. AJR 16 is an important part of Equality California’ broader campaign to change federal blood donation regulations, including our ongoing work with federal lawmakers, advocates and FDA officials.

15 – AB 959 – Reduce Disparities in Health for LGBT People Through Data Collection

Year: 2015

Category: Social/Political, Medical

Bill Description:

Requires government agencies to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity whenever additional demographic data is collected. Collecting this data is necessary to understand the extent to which LGBT people are experiencing disparities in health and well-being and whether government programs are reaching LGBT people in need of care and assistance.

14 – AB 1577 – Respect After Death Act

Year: 2014

Category: Social/Political

Bill Description:

AB 1577, the Respect After Death Act, authored by Assemblymember Toni Atkins, would make sure death certificates for transgender Californians accurately reflect their authentic, lived identity.

14 – SB 703 – LGBT Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers

Year: 2014

Category: Medical, Social/Political

Bill Description:

Assembly Bill 496 clarifies that existing cultural competency training for health care providers should include discussion of LGBT issues. Also appoints a representative of the LGBT community to an existing task force on cultural competency for health care providers.

14 – SB 1306 – Clean Up Marriage Language

Year: 2014

Category: Social/Political, Family

Bill Description:

SB 1306, authored by Senator Mark Leno, brings California statutory law into line with last June’s Supreme Court decision restoring the freedom to marry in California. References to “husband” and “wife” would be replaced with gender-neutral language such as “spouse” to recognize all married couples throughout California code.