Asian Americans Advancing Justice – California, a project of Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus and Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, is sponsoring and strongly supporting a set of bills to promote inclusion, protect vulnerable communities and address the diverse needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
Advancing Voting Rights
AB 918 (Bonta) – California Voting for All Act
Sponsored by Advancing Justice – CA
AB 918 improves language assistance to limited-English proficient (LEP) voters. The bill will ensure that facsimile ballots are available for voters to take into voting booths and voters are informed about the availability of the ballots and how to access them. Additionally, the bill requires that poll workers are trained on the proper handling of facsimile ballots and that name tags of poll workers include the languages spoken so LEP individuals can easily identify them.
Status: Approved by Assembly. Pending referral in Senate.
Send an organizational letter of support.
Countering Bias and Islamophobia
SB 31 (Lara)- Fight4CAReligiousFreedom
Sponsored by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Advancing Justice – California, Council on American-Islamic Relations, California Chapter
SB 31 prohibits a state or local agency from providing or disclosing to federal authorities personally identifying information regarding a person’s religious affiliation when the information is sought for compiling a database of individuals based on religious affiliation, national origin, or ethnicity. SB 31 also prohibits state and local law enforcement from collecting information about an individual’s religious beliefs or affiliations except under certain circumstances.
Status: Approved by Senate. Referred to Assembly Committee on Judiciary
Send an organizational letter of support.
Protecting Immigrant Rights
SB 54 (de Leon) – California Values Act
The California Values Act will protect the safety and well-being of all Californians by ensuring that state and local resources are not used to fuel mass deportations, separate families, or terrorize our communities. The bill will provide essential safeguards to ensure that police, schools, health facilities, courts, and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement remain accessible to Californians from all walks of life and that California’s limited resources are directed to matters of greatest concern to state and local governments.
Status: Approved by Senate. Referred to Assembly Committee on Public Safety and Assembly Committee on Judiciary
Send an organizational letter of support.
Ensuring Safe Schools
AB 699 (O’Donnell and Chiu) – Safe Schools for Immigrant Students
Sponsored by California Teachers Association, College for All Coalition, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
AB 699 establishes guidelines for visits by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at school sites and provides protection and support to immigrant students and their families. This bill prohibits the collection of information regarding the immigration status of pupils or their family members; refuses school site access to ICE agents for any purpose unless there is a judicial warrant or court order; requires schools to comply with parental instructions relating to their children’s care; encourages counseling services to students affected by immigration enforcement, detention, and deportations; offers information to parents and guardians about their children’s right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status or religious beliefs; and educates students about the negative impact of bullying based on actual or perceived immigration status or religious beliefs.
Status: Approved by Assembly. Pending referral in Senate.
Send an organizational letter of support.
For more information, contact:
Andrew T. Medina, California Policy Manager
(916) 448-6700