“President Trump has made it clear he is willing to violate laws and norms to target transgender people, and that he will not stop until their existence has been erased from public life.” – Senator Scott Wiener
By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two bills by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 59 and SB 497, expanding California’s legal and privacy protections for transgender people amid what Wiener described as an escalating campaign of hostility by the Trump Administration.
The bills reinforce the state’s commitment to serve as a refuge for transgender individuals seeking safety, privacy, and access to medical care. SB 497 builds on Wiener’s earlier legislation, SB 107, by strengthening California’s “Transgender State of Refuge” protections. It also establishes penalties for any attempt to access Californians’ sensitive medical data without a warrant.
“The Trump Administration is trying to make transgender people the scapegoats for their fascist takeover. Today, California stood up to protect them,” Wiener said. “President Trump has made it clear he is willing to violate laws and norms to target transgender people, and that he will not stop until their existence has been erased from public life. These laws strengthen legal and privacy protections to stop MAGA from targeting the transgender community. I thank the Governor for having their backs on this critical issue.”
According to recent data, hate crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias in California rose by 10.2% between 2022 and 2023. Nationwide, transgender people were over four times more likely to experience violent victimization in 2021, and 30% reported verbal harassment in 2022 due to their gender identity.
President Trump has repeatedly vowed to restrict transgender rights, including limiting health care access, student expression, athletic participation, and military service.
SB 59 expands on Assemblymember Chris Ward’s 2023 Transgender Youth Privacy Act (AB 223), which kept confidential any petition for a name or gender change filed by a minor. SB 59 extends those protections to adults, retroactively making confidential all court records related to name or gender changes.
The bill was prompted by a 2024 case in Stanislaus County where a transgender woman was harassed after being outed when her court records became public. The 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that such records could be sealed, but left the decision to judicial discretion. SB 59 codifies stronger and more consistent privacy protections statewide.
The bill is co-authored by Senators Chris Cabaldon, John Laird, Steve Padilla, Pérez, and Cervantes, along with Assemblymembers Alex Lee, Chris Ward, José Luis Solache Jr., Mark Gonzalez, Rick Zbur, and Corey Jackson. It is sponsored by Equality California, Secure Justice, the ACLU of Southern California, TransFamily Support Services, Trans Youth Liberation, and the Harvey Milk Democratic Club Transgender Caucus.
SB 497 further strengthens the state’s transgender refuge laws by adding protections against the misuse of medical data. It requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing patient data from the state’s health care databases and makes unauthorized access or sharing of that data a misdemeanor.
The bill also prohibits health care providers from complying with subpoenas that demand disclosure of medical information related to gender-affirming care.
A recent study found that in nearly half of all states, including California, law enforcement could access testosterone prescription data without basic safeguards such as a warrant. These databases contain personal details such as patient names, addresses, and provider information.
SB 497 is co-authored by Senators Chris Cabaldon, John Laird, Lena Gonzalez, Steve Padilla, and Assemblymembers Alex Lee, Chris Ward, and Catherine Stefani. It is sponsored by Trans Family Support Services, TransYouth Liberation, Planned Parenthood, and Equality California.
Both measures aim to safeguard transgender individuals, their families, and providers amid what advocates describe as a growing climate of political and physical hostility toward LGBTQ+ communities nationwide.
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Categories: Breaking News Civil Rights State of California Tags: California Legislature Gavin Newsom Governor Gavin Newsom President Trump SB 497 SB 59 Scott Wiener Senator Scott Wiener Transgender Rights