California lawmakers pass protective measures for pregnant women in prisons and ban the admission of elderly people

SACRAMENTO — California could expand protections for incarcerated pregnant women, ban non-EU citizens from admitting them to private colleges and impose new requirements on colleges to “combat gender discrimination on campus,” according to proposals passed by state lawmakers Tuesday.

California's Democratic-dominated legislature is voting in its final week of session on hundreds of bills to send to Governor Gavin Newsom, with the deadline set to expire on Saturday.

The Democratic governor then has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or allow them to go into effect without his signature. In recent years, he has often cited the state's budget woes as a reason for opposing legislation he would otherwise support.

Here's a look at some of the bills lawmakers passed on Tuesday.

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Sexual harassment on college campuses

Each California State University and University of California campus would be required to have a position to handle sexual harassment complaints. This would be required under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. They would also be required to have a system-wide position to oversee efforts to combat sex discrimination on campus.

Lawmakers introduced the bill as part of a package of legislation designed to address sexual misconduct and gender discrimination on university campuses after the state Auditor General found in recent years that the University of California and California State University systems had mishandled complaints.

The bill now goes back to the Assembly for final approval by the Legislature.

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Pregnant women in prisons

The state Senate has passed bills to expand protections for incarcerated pregnant women.

One would be to prohibit pregnant women and women up to 12 weeks after giving birth from being placed in solitary confinement unless there is “a credible and imminent threat to the safety or integrity” of the woman. It would also require pregnant women to receive clean bottled water and meals daily that meet the nutritional guidelines of the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

Another bill requires pregnant women to be referred to a social worker within a week of arriving at prison to discuss the possibility of attending a parenting class. Mothers who have just given birth must stay in a medical facility for as long as the doctor deems necessary. Each mother can spend time with her child in the medical facility and upon returning to prison she can pump and store her breast milk so that it can be given to the newborn.

The proposals must be finally approved by the Assembly before they land on Newsom's desk.

Reducing empty prison beds

California lawmakers on Tuesday presented Newsom with a bill that would dramatically reduce the number of empty prison beds in state prisons by 2030. The bill, touted as a cost-saving measure in a difficult budget year, also aims to force the state to close more prisons.

There are about 15,000 empty prison beds across the state, and they cost millions annually to maintain, supporters of the bill said. The proposal would gradually reduce that number to 2,500 empty beds over the next six years, potentially giving the state the ability to close five state prisons in the future.

California's prison population has declined rapidly over the past decade following federal court intervention and the COVID-19 pandemic. Opponents of the proposal, including law enforcement officials, say it would house people in more cramped quarters and take away space in state facilities for rehabilitation programs.

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Legacy approvals

The Senate has passed a bill that would prohibit private, nonprofit universities from giving preference in the admissions process to applicants who are related to alumni or donors of the university, starting in September 2025.

The aim is to give students fair opportunities to access higher education, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

The admission of older students came under renewed scrutiny after the U.S. Supreme Court last year invalidated the promotion of minorities in college admissions.

Once the Assembly signs the final version of the bill, it will be sent to Newsom.