California AB 1784 — Postsecondary education: nondiscrimination: pregnancy or pregnancy-related issues.

California, 20252026. AB 1784: Postsecondary education: nondiscrimination: pregnancy or pregnancy-related issues.

Plural source record ↗

Official legislative source ↗

Latest action

September 30, 2026 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 895, Statutes of 2026.

Summary

(1) The Equity in Higher Education Act states the policy of the state to afford all persons, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in postsecondary educational institutions of the state. For purposes of the act, existing law defines "gender" as sex, including a person's gender identity and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. This bill would explicitly add ancestry, national origin, medical condition, marital status, familial status, citizenship, and primary language to the list of specified characteristics for purposes of that policy. The bill would also expand the definition of "gender" for purposes of the act to include pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions. (2) The Equity in Higher Education Act prohibits a postsecondary educational institution from requiring a graduate student to take a leave of absence, withdraw from the graduate program, or limit their graduate studies solely due to pregnancy or pregnancy-related issues. The act requires a postsecondary educational institution to reasonably accommodate pregnant graduate students, as specified, so that they may complete their graduate courses of study and research, including by allowing graduate students to take a leave of absence, as specified. This bill would, commencing September 1, 2027, prohibit a postsecondary educational institution from discriminating against a student or applicant based on the actual or potential familial status or marital status of the student or applicant, or based on the student's or applicant's pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, including by prohibiting the institution from requiring a student to take a leave of absence or withdraw from an educational or extracurricular program or activity, and prohibiting the institution from limiting the student's undergraduate or graduate program. The bill would require a postsecondary educational institution to provide reasonable accommodations to an institutional program for a student, including an undergraduate student, experiencing pregnancy or a pregnancy-related condition to ensure the student's equal access to the institution's educational programs and activities, as provided. This bill would, commencing September 1, 2027, require a postsecondary educational institution to designate at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under these provisions, as specified, and require certain employees, upon being directly informed by a student of the student's pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, to inform the student of their right to receive reasonable accommodations to maintain access to the educational program and provide the student with the contact information for the designated employee or employees. (3) The Equity in Higher Education Act allows a graduate student who is pregnant or has recently given birth to take a leave of absence for a period consistent with the policies of the postsecondary educational institution, or a period of 12 months, whichever is longer, and have an extension of at least 12 months toward normative time to degree while in candidacy for a graduate degree, unless a longer extension is medically necessary, as specified. The act also allows a graduate student who is not the birth parent to take a leave of absence for a period consistent with the policies of the postsecondary educational institution, or a period of one month, whichever is longer, and have an extension of at least one month toward normative time to degree while in candidacy for a graduate degree, unless a longer extension is medically necessary to care for the student's partner or child, as specified. This bill would, commencing September 1, 2027, also allow any undergraduate student who is pregnant or has recently given birth or who is not the birth parent to take the above-described leave of absence and have an extension toward normative time to degree or certificate, as specified. (4) The Equity in Higher Education Act requires a postsecondary educational institution to have a written policy for graduate students on pregnancy discrimination and procedures for addressing pregnancy discrimination complaints, as specified. Existing law requires a copy of the policy to be made available to all graduate students attending orientation sessions at a postsecondary educational institution. Existing law requires a public postsecondary institution to post on the institution's internet website, and to provide through on-campus medical centers, notice of protections provided under Title IX, as specified. This bill would, commencing September 1, 2027, require a postsecondary educational institution to revise that policy to include undergraduate students, and require a copy of the revised policy to be made available to all students attending orientation sessions. The bill would also require a postsecondary educational institution to post on the institution's internet website, and provide through on-campus medical centers, notice of the protections provided by these provisions. This bill would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt regulations for a systemwide policy that include the requirements of these provisions and best practices for implementing those requirements. The bill would require the governing board of each community college district, on or before September 1, 2027, to adopt those regulations, as provided. (5) By imposing additional duties on community college districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Sponsors

• Pellerin — primary sponsor
• Fong
• Cervantes
• Gonzalez

Bill text

AB1784 Read version ↗

02/09/26 - Introduced Read version ↗

04/09/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

06/18/26 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

07/02/26 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

08/13/26 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

08/24/26 - Enrolled Read version ↗

09/30/26 - Chaptered Read version ↗

Recorded votes

Legislative history

1. September 30, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 895, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 30, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. August 27, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
4. August 20, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 6317.).
5. August 19, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. August 19, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5559.).
7. August 17, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 13, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
9. August 13, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
10. August 3, 2026In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
11. July 2, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.
12. July 1, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
13. June 18, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
14. June 17, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 17).
15. June 3, 2026Referred to Coms. on ED. and JUD.
16. May 21, 2026In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
17. May 21, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 5197.)
18. May 18, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
19. May 14, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
20. May 6, 2026In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
21. April 22, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
22. April 13, 2026Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
23. April 9, 2026Read second time and amended.
24. April 8, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 7).
25. February 23, 2026Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and JUD.
26. February 10, 2026From printer. May be heard in committee March 12.
27. February 9, 2026Read first time. To print.

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