New Laws
by Pauline Field
The California legislature has been busy and it has passed many laws, signed by the Governor, that will benefit women. Here’s a highlight of the new laws:
SB 65 Momnibus Bill
The passage of the Momnibus bill keeps Black, Indigenous women and gender expansive folks of color in Californian healthy while they birth and parent. This law provides birthing options like doulas, expands access to midwives, extends Medi-Cal care and provides cash aid to low-income pregnant people.SB 321 Rights for Domestic Workers
As a part of the Stronger California Advocates Network, the nannies, house cleaners, and nurses that work in more than 2 million California households will no longer be excluded from California’s health and safety laws.AB 124 Justice For Survivors
Over 90% of female-identified folks in California’s prison are themselves victims of abuse. This law supports survivors of violence, including domestic violence and human trafficking, by providing a clear legal mechanism for trauma-informed charging, sentencing, and resentencing for survivors on trial and currently imprisoned.SB 331 the Silenced No More Act
The Silenced No More Act prevents companies from enforcing any agreement that silences employees by preventing them from discussing their suffered workplace discrimination, harassment, or abuse.
“SB 331 will empower survivors to speak out—if they so wish—so they can hold perpetrators accountable and hopefully prevent abusers from continuing to torment and abuse other workers,” stated California State Senator Connie Leyla, who wrote the bill.
SB 62 the Garment Worker Protection Act
Known as the Garment Worker Protection Act, the new law makes California the first state to require hourly wages for garment workers; it will also prohibit piecework, a pervasive system in which workers are paid per garment (often resulting in less than $3 per hour), and it will penalize both manufacturers and brands for wage theft and illegal pay practices. For designers, the bill introduces a kind of accountability never seen before in the industry.
AB 367 the Menstrual Equity For All Act
The Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021 is a bill requiring public schools and colleges to provide free period products in their restrooms, and is an expansion of a 2017 law mandating free pads and tampons in schools serving low-income communities. Under the new act, all community colleges, state colleges, and public schools grades 6 through 12 will be obligated to provide the same hygiene products to students at no cost.
Democratic Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia sponsored the bill. “Just as toilet paper and paper towels are provided in virtually every public bathroom, so should menstrual products,” she said in a statement. “It is time we recognize and respond to the biology of half the population by prioritizing free access to menstrual products and eliminating all barriers to them.”