The Governor has signed AB 1790 into law, strengthening protections against sexual harassment at California State University campuses
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1790, codifying strengthened protections against sexual harassment at California State University (CSU) campuses into California law. AB 1790 is a part of the “A Call to Action” legislative package, targeting sex discrimination and sexual harassment in California’s higher education institutions, and is the first of Assemblymember Connolly’s bills to be signed by the Governor in the 2024 legislative session. AB 1790 will require the CSU system to strengthen protections against sexual harassment and update their policies regarding how the Universities process sexual harassment complaints and allegations.
“This legislation will ensure that survivors are heard, perpetrators are held accountable, and our educational institutions uphold the highest standards of justice and support,” said Assemblymember Damon Connolly. “By strengthening protections against sexual assault and sexual harassment, we can make our California State Universities safer for students and faculty by ensuring that allegations of sexual harassment are not wrongfully dismissed.”
“Each bill in the ‘A Call to Action’ Legislative Package is vital to creating fundamental change at California's higher education institutions, and AB 1790 is a critical first step to establish accountability to address and prevent sex discrimination and harassment at the CSU,” said Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra). “As Chair of the Higher Education Committee, I want to thank Assemblymember Connolly for authoring this important piece of legislation, and for standing with survivors of sexual harassment.”
In a 2022 report conducted by the California State Auditor assessing the CSU’s handling of sexual harassment complaints against employees, the Auditor’s office determined that some allegations of sexual harassment had not been adequately or consistently addressed. The California State Auditor’s report highlighted that a lack of detailed guidelines in the CSU sexual harassment policy caused credible cases to slip through the cracks without a formal investigation into the allegations or appropriate disciplinary action.
AB 1790 implements the recommendations outlined by the California State Auditor in their report on the California State University’s sexual harassment policies. AB 1790 will enforce standardized guidelines for all CSU formal investigations into allegations of sexual harassment, develop a policy for each campus to track timelines of sexual harassment cases, and ensure that employees found to have engaged in sexual harassment cannot procure positive employment references. Further, the bill requires that on or before December 1, 2026, the California State University must submit to the State Legislature a report on the status of implementing the recommendations, as well as a summary of results from campus compliance reviews.
This bill has been signed by the Governor and will go into effect in January, 2025.