SACRAMENTO — Two bills sponsored by Jewish California passed their final policy committees on Tuesday and are scheduled for consideration by the California State Senate in August. If passed, both measures could become law by the end of August.

One bill, SB 1387, authored by Democratic Senator Henry Stern, focuses on recognizing Jewish ethnicity within California state law and data collection. The legislation requires that all of California's ethnicity data collection systems include "Jewish" as an ethnicity option, beyond its classification as a religious identifier. If enacted, California would be the first state in the U.S. to officially recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity. "For years, California has recognized that good data drives good policy – and has extended that recognition to community after community," said David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California. "Jewish Californians deserve the same. This bill ensures our community is neither invisible nor misrepresented in the systems that shape public health, education, and civil rights decisions." SB 1387 will be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in August.

The other bill, AB 1836, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and co-sponsored by Jewish California and Equality California, aims to broaden the scope of the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP). Currently, CSNSGP funds are used for security at a non-profit's permanent facility. AB 1836 would allow these funds to secure off-site events, including religious observances, LGBTQ+ Pride events, cultural festivals, marches, and protests, making nonprofits without a permanent physical location eligible for funding. "Our communities don't just gather behind security doors – we gather for religious holidays in the park, we demonstrate, and we host public festivals and parades," said Bocarsly. "Vulnerable communities should not have to worry about safety when practicing our traditions in the community. But with hate-motivated violence on the rise, the cost of securing these gatherings has become prohibitive for many organizations, threatening the very community-building that defines us." AB 1836 will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee in August. If passed, the full California State Legislature will vote on the bill by the end of August.