CA AB 2563
enactedSex discrimination: scope.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 2563 pass?
Yes. CA AB 2563 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-30): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 952, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 2563 about?
(1) The United States and California Constitutions guarantee all persons the right to equal protection of the laws. The California Constitution further recognizes the right of all persons to pursue and obtain safety, happiness, and privacy, guarantees an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, and prohibits disqualification of a person from entering or pursuing a business, profession, vocation, or employment because of, among other things, sex. This bill would require, under all state laws, that any provision that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, discrimination on the basis of gender, or similar discrimination be interpreted to prohibit sex discrimination. The bill would define "sex discrimination" to include, among other things, discrimination based on any of specified actual or perceived characteristics or actions, including based on degree of conformity to sex or gender stereotypes. This bill would provide that this interpretation reflects the existing protections of specified state constitutional laws, as described above. The bill would require these provisions to be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes of these constitutional protections. The bill would make related findings and declarations. (2) Existing law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act (act) , provides that all persons within the jurisdiction of this state are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments regardless of their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability status, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status. That act defines "sex" to include, among other things, pregnancy, childbirth, or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. This bill would further define, for purposes of the act, "sex" to include any characteristics set forth under the above-described definition of "sex discrimination." (3) Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , makes certain discriminatory employment and housing practices unlawful, and authorizes a person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice to file a verified complaint with the Civil Rights Department. The FEHA defines various terms in connection with unlawful practices, including the term "sex." This bill would further define "sex" to include any characteristics set forth under the above-described definition of "sex discrimination." (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 51 of the Civil Code proposed by AB 1940 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1940 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 12926 of the Government Code proposed by AB 1940 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1940 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (5) This bill would include certain provisions that become operative only if AB 1940 is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2027, and amends Section 12926 of the Government Code. In that regard, the bill would expand the above-described definition of "sex discrimination" to include discrimination based on actual or perceived perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause or medical conditions related to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
Who sponsors CA AB 2563?
Pacheco is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2563, joined by 2 cosponsors.
Description
(1) The United States and California Constitutions guarantee all persons the right to equal protection of the laws. The California Constitution further recognizes the right of all persons to pursue and obtain safety, happiness, and privacy, guarantees an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, and prohibits disqualification of a person from entering or pursuing a business, profession, vocation, or employment because of, among other things, sex. This bill would require, under all state laws, that any provision that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, discrimination on the basis of gender, or similar discrimination be interpreted to prohibit sex discrimination. The bill would define "sex discrimination" to include, among other things, discrimination based on any of specified actual or perceived characteristics or actions, including based on degree of conformity to sex or gender stereotypes. This bill would provide that this interpretation reflects the existing protections of specified state constitutional laws, as described above. The bill would require these provisions to be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes of these constitutional protections. The bill would make related findings and declarations. (2) Existing law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act (act) , provides that all persons within the jurisdiction of this state are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments regardless of their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability status, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status. That act defines "sex" to include, among other things, pregnancy, childbirth, or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. This bill would further define, for purposes of the act, "sex" to include any characteristics set forth under the above-described definition of "sex discrimination." (3) Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , makes certain discriminatory employment and housing practices unlawful, and authorizes a person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice to file a verified complaint with the Civil Rights Department. The FEHA defines various terms in connection with unlawful practices, including the term "sex." This bill would further define "sex" to include any characteristics set forth under the above-described definition of "sex discrimination." (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 51 of the Civil Code proposed by AB 1940 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1940 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 12926 of the Government Code proposed by AB 1940 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1940 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (5) This bill would include certain provisions that become operative only if AB 1940 is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2027, and amends Section 12926 of the Government Code. In that regard, the bill would expand the above-described definition of "sex discrimination" to include discrimination based on actual or perceived perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause or medical conditions related to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
- Introduced
- 2026-04-08
- Latest action
- 2026-09-30 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 952, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Pachecoauthor
- Zburcoauthor
- Calderoncoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-30
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 952, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-30
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-10
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 15.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 15. Page 6880.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-28
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.).
2026-08-24
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-21
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-06-30
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-06-29
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-06-17
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-10
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-05-27
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-05-26
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 58. Noes 17.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-26
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 58. Noes 17. Page 5386.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-19
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-18
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-05-14
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2026-04-22
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-04-13
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
referral-committee
2026-04-09
Read second time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-04-08
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 7).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-03-16
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-02-21
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
- 02/20/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-20Compare
- 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-09Compare
- 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-05-18Compare
- 08/21/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-21Compare
- 09/03/26 - Enrolled — 2026-09-03Compare
- 09/30/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-30Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
- AB2563Compare
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Votes
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-04-07 · pass · 9-3
Member-level votes (12)
- Papan: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Lee: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Macedo: no
- Sanchez: no
- Dixon: no
Do pass as amended.
2026-05-14 · pass · 11-4
Member-level votes (15)
- Krell: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Fong: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Solache: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Tangipa: no
- Ta: no
- Dixon: no
- Hoover: no
AB 2563 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading
2026-05-27 · pass · 58-17
Member-level votes (80)
- Ward: yes
- Patel: yes
- Hart: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Lee: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Haney: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Soria: yes
- Papan: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Solache: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Krell: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Berman: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bonta: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Bains: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Fong: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Addis: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Flora: no
- Hadwick: no
- Dixon: no
- Hoover: no
- Macedo: no
- Ellis: no
- Castillo: no
- Chen: no
- DeMaio: no
- Gallagher: no
- Davies: no
- Jeff Gonzalez: no
- Johnson: no
- Tangipa: no
- Sanchez: no
- Patterson: no
- Ta: no
- Lackey: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Muratsuchi: other
- Wallis: other
- Alanis: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-06-16 · pass · 9-2
Member-level votes (13)
- Wahab: yes
- Allen: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Stern: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Laird: yes
- Niello: no
- Valladares: no
- Ashby: other
- Weber Pierson: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-02T00:25:57.024770Z
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