On the last day for taking action on bills, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Seth's Law, an anti-bullying law named in memory of Seth Walsh, 13, of Kern County, who committed suicide last year after experiencing anti-gay harassment. According to The Bay Area Reporter, AB 9, signed Sunday, October 9, tightens anti-bullying policies in California schools by ensuring that all schools have clear policies and shorter timelines for investigating bullying allegations. In an interview, gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), the bill's author, said that in San Francisco and other cities, schools "are doing a lot already," but AB 9 helps give some "teeth" to what's being done. Ammiano said he's "thrilled" with his proposal becoming law, but he added, "It's bittersweet." The youth who have committed suicide after being bullied and harassed "will never be brought back," and it's "shameful" that it took Walsh's death "to make this happen," he said. "However," Ammiano said, "to me, this signifies he didn't die for nothing." American Civil Liberties Union's California affiliates, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equality California, and the Trevor Project were the bill's sponsors. Brown also signed several other bills co-sponsored by EQCA in the closing days of the legislative session. The new laws, all of which go into effect January 1, address a variety of issues, including employment and housing protections for transgender people. Brown signed two key pieces of legislation specifically related to transgender people. AB 887, known as the Gender Non-Discrimination Act, clarifies that "gender identity and expression" are protected categories in regards to employment, education, housing, public accommodations, and other settings. Out Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) authored the bill. Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), a straight ally, wrote the Vital Statistics Modernization Act – AB 433. The legislation makes it easier for transgender people to get a court-ordered gender change and updated birth certificate. "The barriers that transgender people face are life threatening," said a statement from the Transgender Law Center, co-sponsor of both bills. "Our victory is a testament that California is at its best when we work together to realize the ideal that everyone should be treated fairly and equally." In an interview, Vicki Estrada, the transgender lesbian who owns Estrada Land Planning in San Diego, said many transgender people "are not lucky enough to own their own company, and not lucky enough to have some of the contacts that I did." Estrada, who transitioned six years ago, said she feels "really strongly" that the clarity AB 887 is designed to bring "is going to go a long way to making it easier" for employers, as well. Another prominent piece of legislation Brown signed in July is Senate Bill 48, also known as the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act. SB 48, authored by openly gay Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), requires schools to teach about LGBTs' historical contributions to the state. Some parts of the law will not be effective until after January 1. Gay-Straight Alliance Network co-sponsored SB 48. Brown also approved Leno's Domestic Partnership Equality Act, SB 651. That legislation corrects three differences between marriage and domestic partnerships, including requirements that same-sex couples live together before entering into a domestic partnership. Out lesbian state Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) authored the Equal Rights Bill, SB 117, which the governor also signed. It prohibits the state from entering into contracts of more than $100,000 with companies that discriminate on the basis of the gender or sexual orientation of their employees' spouses or domestic partners. SB 182, the Judicial Applicant and Appointment Demographics Inclusion Act, ensures that voluntary data on the gender identity and sexual orientation of potential judges is gathered through the state's Judicial Applicant Data Report. State Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) authored the legislation. Another bill that Brown signed was SB 757, the Insurance Non-Discrimination Act. Authored by Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), the legislation closes a California loophole that allows some employers that operate in multiple states to discriminate by not providing the same coverage for domestic partners as they provide for spouses. Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Los Angeles) co-authored the bill, which requires that any insurance policy sold or issued in California must comply with the Golden State's non-discrimination requirements. The Protection of Parent-Child Relationships Act, AB 1349, allows courts to consider the relationship between children and their presumed and declared parents when determining parentage. That bill was authored by Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo). The Academy of California Adoption Lawyers co-sponsored the legislation. Assemblyman Marty Block (D-San Diego) authored AB 620, which addressees bullying and harassment in higher education. Not all of the bills EQCA was involved in were successful. Brown vetoed two proposals that the organization worked on with Kehoe. SB 747 would have had regulatory boards that license or certify health care professionals require continuing education on LGBT cultural competency in health care. Brown said in his veto message that "licensing boards are better suited than the Legislature or the governor to decide these matters." SB 416, the Survey Data Inclusion Act, would have added voluntary demographic questions on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, domestic partnership status and spouse's gender to two key state-wide health surveys. "We can improve health care delivery to LGBT patients by having baseline data of our needs and by having better communication between patients and providers. I intend to find ways to accomplish this even with the vetoes of SB 747 and SB 416," Kehoe stated. EQCA spokeswoman Rebekah Orr said in an interview that the organization would look at what to do next. She said Kehoe's cultural competency proposal is one area of concern, particularly for transgender people.
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