California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill that prohibits school districts from having policies that require parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
The passage of Assembly Bill 1955 comes after several school districts across the state put parental notification policies in place. Some of those policies have been challenged in court.
The law prevents districts from requiring staff to disclose a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression without the student’s consent.
It sparked heated debate at the Capitol this year. A couple of week ago, a debate between lawmakers almost turned violent over the bill.
“Politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety, and dignity of transgender, nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California,” said the bill’s author, Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego.
“While some school districts have adopted policies to forcibly out students, the SAFETY Act ensures that discussions about gender identity remain a private matter within the family. As a parent, I urge all parents to talk to their children, listen to them, and love them unconditionally for who they are.”
