New bill could strengthen transgender sanctuary protections in California

Jenavieve Hatch, The Sacramento Bee on Feb 20, 2025

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California state Sen. Scott Wiener on Thursday announced a new bill that would protect the state’s transgender community and strengthen a preexisting law that declared California a transgender “state of refuge.”

Wiener, D-San Francisco, said in a press release that the bill is a direct result of President Donald Trump’s “disgusting efforts” to “demoniz(e) our transgender neighbors.”

“The President is attempting to eliminate trans people’s very existence in the eyes of the law, and he has made clear he is willing to violate laws and norms to target them,” Wiener said.

“We must do all we can to prevent him, his lawless administration, and his cruel extremist allies from abusing Californians’ sensitive medical information.”

Senate Bill 497 would require law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant before accessing the state’s health care database, and punish anyone who accesses and shares private health care data with a misdemeanor offense. It would also expand the state’s preexisting shield laws to bar doctors from complying with subpoenas that would require the disclosure of a transgender patient’s medical information, or medical information related to gender-affirming care.

The bill would also explicitly state support for teachers who affirm their transgender students.

It is coauthored by West Sacramento state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, and sponsored by Planned Parenthood, Trans Family Support Services, TransYouth Liberation, and Equality California.

The bill comes a month to the day after Trump signed an executive order all but erasing the existence of transgender people at the legal level. In the weeks since, Trump and his administration have continued to limit the rights of transgender Americans, including barring them from serving in the U.S. military.

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