Governor Signs into Law 9 Stronger California 2025 Bills for Gender, Racial, and Economic Justice

October 14. 2025

For Immediate Release
Oct 14, 2025

Media Contact
Nazirah Ahmad
[email protected]

The new laws, all 2025 priorities the Stronger California Advocates Network, guard against federal attacks on medicated abortion, trans people’s rights, and immigrant families and advance proactive policy reform, keeping California at the forefront in advancing policies supporting women and families

SACRAMENTO, October 14, 2025 – Today, the Stronger California Advocates Network celebrated 9 of its priority bills that were signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The new laws, which take effect January 2026, will protect against federal civil rights attacks and address the most pressing needs of California women, workers, and families. 

The Stronger California Advocates Network is a coalition of 65 nonprofit and advocacy organizations, chaired by Equal Rights Advocates, that works closely with the California Legislative Women’s Caucus and other legislative champions.

The new laws place guardrails on ICE entering schools (AB 49); protect access to medical abortion (AB 260); make paid family leave benefits more inclusive to LGBTQI+ people and others who rely on chosen family for care (SB 590); expand deadlines for filing sexual assault claims (AB 250); and make California a Transgender State of Refuge, protecting the privacy of trans people’s heath care data from misuse by federal and out-of-state actors (SB 497).

Another bill, the Pay Equity Enforcement Act (SB 642) addresses loopholes in the California Fair Pay Act, which marks its 10th anniversary this year. It revises outdated gender binary language, strengthens existing pay transparency law, expands the statute of limitations for pay discrimination claims so workers have more time to pursue legal claims, and enables workers to recover more of their lost wages up to 6 years. This law is particularly important as the U.S. gender pay gap has widened for 2 years in a row for the first time since the data was first collected in the 1960s.

See the full 2025 Stronger California agenda here.

“As our rights face systematic attacks federally, these 9 new laws show that California continues to lead the nation with bold, innovative policies that protect women, trans people, workers, and immigrant families,” said Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates and Co-Chair of the Stronger California Advocates Network. “Californians deserve economic security, safe workplaces and schools, healthcare privacy, and the ability to care for loved ones without risking their livelihoods. California’s leadership in advancing these policies is more important than ever.”

“The gender wage gap costs California women billions in lost wages each year—money that could go toward rent, groceries, child care, and other essentials that families depend on,” said Jessica Ramey Stender, Policy Director & Deputy Legal Director of Equal Rights Advocates. “At a time when federal wage protections are under attack, SB 642 is a vital step forward to strengthen California’s equal pay laws. Ensuring women and all workers are paid fairly is not only critical for their individual financial stability, but also for the economic security and well-being of families across the state.”

Since its founding in 2015, the Stronger California coalition has helped pass 50+ laws and supported billions of dollars in state budget allocations to address the economic needs of California’s women, families, and communities.

For a complete list of all Stronger California wins, see here.