20 Aug California’s AB 1784 Passes!
Great news! California’s AB 1784 (Pellerin) has passed both the Assembly and the Senate and is now heading to Governor Newsom for his signature.
California has at least 300,000 undergraduate student parents—a third of them raising kids under three years old. Without strong policies to support them, pregnant and parenting undergrads are often forced to withdraw, losing their education alongside their health insurance, their housing, and their children’s stability.
In 2014, California established parental leave and pregnancy accommodations for graduate students through AB 2350 (Bonilla)—an effort that launched the Pregnant Scholar. But that law left out undergraduates entirely. AB 1784 would finish this important work by extending those same protections to undergraduates for the first time, while also strengthening protections for all pregnant and parenting students.
If AB 1784 is signed into law, it would:
Protect students from discrimination: AB 1784 would prohibit discrimination against undergrads based on pregnancy or parenting.
Establish a state right to pregnancy-related accommodations for undergraduates: Pregnant students and those with pregnancy-related conditions often need reasonable accommodations to stay healthy while pursuing their education, such as seating changes, permission to eat or drink, parking permits, or the ability to avoid toxic chemicals in class. Graduate students in California have had a state right to such accommodations for over a decade, and Title IX has mandated accommodations (without sufficient specificity) since the 1970s. This bill would guard students’ health by including undergraduates in state protections for the first time while also adding implementation guidance needed by institutions.
Extend leave rights to undergraduates: Graduate students in California have had leave and absence protections in state law for over a decade. AB 1784 would finally extend those same rights to undergraduates, ensuring that students can keep their place in school while recovering from childbirth or being present for their child’s first days.
Ensure student parents and faculty can find support: The bill would require institutions to inform students of their rights, establish a designated liaison responsible for coordinating compliance, and enshrine relevant policies in writing. These provisions are critical to prevent problems before they start and enable institutions to quickly respond when needed.
This bill couldn’t have come at a better time. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which is tasked with enforcing Title IX protections for pregnant and parenting students and providing guidance to educational institutions, has been significantly scaled back and its California office shut down entirely. With federal enforcement in retreat, state action like this matters more than ever.
AB 1784 is now just one signature away from becoming a law that will serve as an example for states across the country! Thank you to bill sponsor Assembly Member Pellerin and co-authors Assembly Member Fong, Senator Cervantes, and Senator Gonzalez—as well as all supporters who helped make this progress possible. We’ll share more once Governor Newsom acts.
