SB 541 California Senate · 2023-2024 Regular Session

Sexual health: contraceptives.

Summary
(1) Existing law, the California Healthy Youth Act, requires school districts, defined to include county boards of education, county superintendents of schools, the California School for the Deaf, the California School for the Blind, and charter schools, to ensure that all pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, receive comprehensive sexual health education and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention education, as specified. This bill would, in order to prevent and reduce unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, on or before the start of the 2024–25 school year, require each public school, including schools operated by a school district or county office of education, charter schools, and state special schools, to make internal and external condoms available to all pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, free of charge, as provided. The bill would require these public schools to, at the beginning of each school year, inform pupils through existing school communication channels that free condoms are available and where the condoms can be obtained on school grounds. The bill would require a public school to post at least one notice regarding these requirements, as specified. The bill would require this notice to include certain information, including, among other information, information about how to use condoms properly. The bill would require each public school serving any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to allow condoms to be made available during the course of, or in connection with, educational or public health programs and initiatives, as provided. The bill would authorize a state agency, the State Department of Education, or a public school to accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source for the support of a public school carrying out these provisions, including, but not limited to, the acceptance of condoms from a manufacturer or wholesaler. The bill would, in order to comply with these provisions, encourage public schools to explore partnerships, including, but not limited to, partnerships with local health jurisdictions, as defined, community health centers, nonprofit organizations, and the State Department of Public Health. By imposing additional duties on public schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would additionally prohibit a public school, as defined, maintaining any combination of classrooms from grades 7 to 12, inclusive, a school district, the State Department of Education, or a county office of education from prohibiting certain school-based health centers, as defined, from making internal and external condoms available and easily accessible to pupils at the school-based health center site. (2) Under existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, the State Department of Public Health generally regulates the packaging, labeling, advertising, and sale of food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics, in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A violation of those provisions is generally a crime. Existing law sets forth various other provisions relating to the furnishing and health care coverage of certain types of contraception. This bill would, with certain exceptions, prohibit a retail establishment, as defined, from refusing to furnish nonprescription contraception to a person solely on the basis of age by means of any conduct, including, but not limited to, requiring the customer to present identification for purposes of demonstrating their age. Under the bill, a violation of that prohibition would be exempt from the above-described criminal penalty. (3) 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.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Jul 2023
Senate Passage
May 2023
Assembly Passage
Sep 2023
Vetoed
Jan 2024
Introduced Feb 14, 2023 Vetoed Jan 25, 2024
Floor votes · Senate May 31, 2023 · Assembly Sep 7, 2023

How they voted

40–0
Passed
Total votes 40
May 31, 2023
D Democratic31
31 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican9
9 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
36
Key actions
15
Committee
4
Amendments
11
Jan 25, 2024
Vetoed
Veto sustained.
upper
Oct 8, 2023
Vetoed
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
upper
Oct 8, 2023
Vetoed
Vetoed by the Governor.
upper
Sep 11, 2023
Upper · Passed
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 2601.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
upper
Sep 7, 2023
Introduced
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
upper
Sep 7, 2023
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 65. Noes 11. Page 3004.) Ordered to the Senate.
lower
Sep 1, 2023
Lower · Passed
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
lower
Sep 1, 2023
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (September 1).
lower
Jul 12, 2023
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 3.) (July 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
lower
Jun 30, 2023
Lower · Passed
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
lower
Jun 29, 2023
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (June 28).
lower
Jun 15, 2023
Committee
Referred to Coms. on ED. and HEALTH.
lower
May 31, 2023
Upper · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 31. Noes 9. Page 1398.) Ordered to the Assembly.
upper
May 31, 2023
Upper · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 31. Noes 8. Page 1393.) Ordered to the Assembly.
upper
May 18, 2023
Upper · Passed
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
upper
May 18, 2023
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 1174.) (May 18).
upper
Apr 13, 2023
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 1. Page 710.) (April 12). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
upper
Mar 30, 2023
Upper · Passed
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
upper
Mar 29, 2023
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 570.) (March 29).
upper
Mar 20, 2023
Upper · Passed
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.
upper
Feb 22, 2023
Committee
Referred to Coms. on ED. and HEALTH.
upper
Feb 14, 2023
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors