2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD
A MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TONY
HOANG
This past year tested our community in ways we have not seen in decades. From Donald Trump’s first day back in office, his administration moved aggressively to attack LGBTQ+ people and dismantle hard-won legal protections — with transgender people and their families singled out as the primary targets of these dangerous and discriminatory attacks.
The Trump administration is working to erase our history from classrooms, restrict access to essential healthcare for transgender youth, and block transgender people from obtaining accurate identification. They have pushed bans on sports participation and military service, opened the door to discrimination in housing and the workplace, and slashed suicide-prevention services that LGBTQ+ young people rely on. And in immigrant communities, ICE has escalated a campaign of terror — sowing fear, separating families, and targeting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and undocumented people who already face heightened risks of discrimination and violence.
But in the face of these unconscionable attacks, our community came together with clarity, resilience, and determination. We mobilized quickly — working alongside the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and community partners — to craft a bold legislative agenda designed to meet the moment and forcefully push back against the Trump administration’s hateful and discriminatory agenda. Our goal was clear: strengthen California’s existing safeguards and ensure that our state remained a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender people and their families, in the face of unprecedented federal hostility.
We are grateful to Governor Newsom for signing seven of Equality California’s priority bills into law, each representing a critical step forward in defending the
safety and dignity of LGBTQ+ people. These new laws strengthen protections for transgender people and their healthcare providers, safeguard LGBTQ+ families, streamline access to accurate identity documents, protect sensitive data, ensure LGBTQ+ workers can take time off to care for their loved ones, and make homelessness programs safer and more welcoming for unhoused LGBTQ+ people. These victories reaffirm California’s commitment to protecting LGBTQ+ people at a moment when the federal government is actively working hard to strip away our rights.
At the same time, we stopped a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the California Legislature — proposals that would have banned transgender youth from school sports and facilities, rolled back protections in correctional settings, and weakened existing civil rights laws. Working alongside our partners, we also secured the restoration of roughly $40 million in proposed cuts to LGBTQ+ health equity programs — funding that will sustain dozens of community-based organizations across the state. And we successfully passed Proposition 50, a critical measure that will ensure fair representation in Congress and safeguard our democracy from Trump and MAGA Republicans’ unprecedented attempts to steal congressional seats in 2026.
These successes belong to all of us — especially to every Californian who made calls, sent letters, attended hearings, knocked on doors, and refused to stand by while our rights were under attack. We are deeply thankful to the members of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, our pro-equality legislative champions, and allied organizations for their unwavering leadership and partnership in securing these wins. We are especially grateful to Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has been on the front lines defending LGBTQ+ people and challenging Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional actions in the courtroom.
Still, we know our work is far from finished. Critical bills to protect access to transgender healthcare
and HIV prevention did not make it across the finish line this year. The Trump administration continues to escalate its attacks on our community nearly every day. And the current Supreme Court — which has already upheld Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for transgender youth and undermined inclusive education nationwide — is preparing rulings on cases that could threaten California’s protections for transgender student-athletes and weaken our laws banning harmful conversion therapy practices.
But let me be clear: California will not back down — and neither will Equality California.
We will continue working with the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, pro-equality allies, Attorney General Bonta, and community partners to defend our families and our freedoms. We are already developing another strong legislative package for 2026 to further reinforce protections, safeguard access to healthcare, and ensure that California remains a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people. And as we look toward the 2026 midterms, we will build on this momentum — defending proven pro-equality champions and electing new and exciting leaders who will stand shoulder-toshoulder with us in the fight for full equality.
Our community has faced relentless attacks before and every time, we have risen to meet the moment. We will keep fighting, we will keep organizing, and we will not stop until every LGBTQ+ person can live freely, safely, and with dignity.
Until the work is done,
TONY HOANG Executive Director
THANK YOU, LEGISLATIVE LGBTQ CAUCUS
California was the first state in the nation to establish an official caucus of openly LGBTQ+ state legislators, and it continues to lead the country in progress and representation. With 14 members — the largest LGBTQ+ caucus in the United States — the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus remains a powerful voice in the Capitol and a critical line of defense for our community during an era of escalating hostility from the federal government.
In 2025, under the leadership of Chair Asm. Chris Ward and Vice Chair Sen. Caroline Menjivar, the Caucus worked tirelessly to champion Equality California’s legislative priorities and protect our community from a relentless wave of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. Their leadership was instrumental not only in advancing a proactive legislative agenda, but also in defeating dangerous bills that sought to roll back rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people. The Caucus also played a critical role in protecting funding for LGBTQ+ health and social service programs as well as securing new investments to sustain community-based organizations across the state.
Equality California is profoundly grateful to every member of the LGBTQ Caucus and
their dedicated staff for their unwavering commitment to protecting and uplifting LGBTQ+ Californians. We are especially grateful to Caucus consultants Jacob Fraker and Natalia Garcia for their guidance and partnership, and to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara for his steadfast leadership in strengthening healthcare protections for our community. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the LGBTQ Caucus and are proud to welcome Sen. Sabrina Cervantes as the new Vice Chair. Her leadership will play a vital role as we work together to advance a strong proequality agenda, defeat anti-LGBTQ+ attacks, secure and sustain critical investments, and support the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders.
“As a freshman legislator, it felt incredible to have one of my first bills sponsored and supported by Equality California and carried by the LGBTQ Caucus. While I am immensely disappointed that Governor Newsom vetoed AB 554, which would have expanded access to lifesaving PrEP medication, I will not stop advocating for improved health outcomes and accessibility for those communities who have been traditionally underserved.”
ASM. MARK GONZÁLEZ
It has been an honor to work hand in hand with Equality California as Chair of the LGBTQ Legislative Caucus. Despite the significant challenges created by the current federal administration, we stayed focused and delivered real results for LGBTQ+ Californians — especially when it comes to privacy and safety. Together, we pushed back against some of the federal government’s most harmful proposals and ensured California continues to lead the way.
CHRIS WARD
ASM.
PRIORITY LEGISLATION
Working closely with members of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and other pro-equality legislators, Equality California sponsored 10 bills in 2025. Seven of our priority bills were signed into law, two were vetoed, and one became a two-year bill that will continue to advance in 2026.
In developing our 2025 legislative package, we partnered closely with our legislative champions and community leaders to identify the most urgent threats and challenges facing LGBTQ+ Californians. Together, we crafted a legislative package that directly responded to these threats — strengthening California’s role as a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition to our sponsored bills, Equality California supported more than two dozen pro-equality measures to improve access to mental health resources, combat hate crimes and discrimination, advance gun-safety protections, enhance care for people living with HIV, safeguard reproductive freedom, defend immigrant communities from inhumane ICE raids and enforcement actions, and more.
Brief descriptions of Equality California–sponsored bills and additional LGBTQ Caucus priority measures are included below.
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA SPONSORED BILLS
AB 82 PROTECTING HEALTH PRIVACY AND SAFETY
by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego)
Protects transgender people and those seeking reproductive healthcare by restricting the sharing of sensitive prescription data and strengthening safeguards for patients and providers against doxxing, harassment, and violence.
AB 554 STRENGTHENING ACCESS TO PREP
by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles)
Strengthens existing protections requiring health plans to cover PrEP without cost-sharing or insurance barriers such as prior authorization, ensuring uninterrupted access to HIV prevention amid federal rollbacks.
AB 678 ENSURING SAFE AND INCLUSIVE HOUSING
by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose)
Requires the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to develop and advance recommended policies and best practices to ensure that state homelessness programs provide safe and inclusive housing for LGBTQ+ people.
AB 908 ADVANCING LGBTQ+ INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
by Assemblymember José Luis Solache (D-Los Angeles)
Directs the California Department of Education to monitor school district compliance with the FAIR Education Act, which requires the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people and other historically marginalized groups in history and social science curricula.
AB 1084 THE TRANSGENDER RECORDS ACT by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood)
Streamlines the process for transgender and nonbinary Californians to obtain a courtordered name and gender marker change by requiring courts to issue orders within six weeks for petitions from adults and from minors with consent from both parents.
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: VETOED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: CONVERTED to 2-year bill
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
“Since taking office, one of my main legislative priorities has been ensuring that LGBTQ+ people have the ability to build their families with the same protections as heterosexual couples. This session I was thrilled to see SB 450 signed by the governor, which will allow LGBTQ+ people to use our state’s confirmatory adoption protections for children born in California, even if they’re living in another state. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Equality California as we keep up the fight for full, lived equality.”
SEN. CAROLINE MENJIVAR
SB 59 THE TRANSGENDER PRIVACY ACT
by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)
Makes court records related to legal name and gender marker changes confidential, protecting transgender and nonbinary people from harassment, doxxing, and violence amid escalating federal attacks on their privacy and safety.
SB 418 ENSURING EQUAL ACCESS TO CARE
by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley)
Codifies Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act into California law and protects access to healthcare for transgender people by requiring health plans to cover up to a 12-month supply of prescription hormone therapy.
SB 450 SAFEGUARDING LGBTQ+ PARENTAGE RIGHTS
by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley)
Allows parents from other states to confirm their parentage rights in California if their child was born here, safeguarding LGBTQ+ families amid growing national hostility and threats to marriage equality.
SB 497 STRENGTHENING TRANSGENDER SHIELD LAWS
by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)
Prohibits out-of-state law enforcement from accessing or demanding sensitive prescription data without a warrant and bars providers from complying with out-of-state subpoenas seeking information about transgender patients.
SB 590 EXPANDING INCLUSIVE PAID FAMILY LEAVE
by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles)
Expands California’s Paid Family Leave program to include chosen and extended family, recognizing the diverse caregiving needs within the LGBTQ+ community and ensuring everyone can care for the people they love.
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: VETOED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
ADDITIONAL LGBTQ CAUCUS PRIORITY BILLS
AB 449 COMBATING HATE IN CALIFORNIA
by Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson (D-Moreno Valley)
Directs the Civil Rights Department to develop statewide and regional public education campaigns to combat discrimination and support communities responding to rising hate and violence.
AB 727 EXPANDING LGBTQ+ YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles)
Requires student ID cards for grades 7–12 and postsecondary institutions to include The Trevor Project’s crisis hotline, ensuring LGBTQ+ youth have access to lifesaving mental health resources.
AB 822 EXTENDING THE COMMISSION ON THE STATE OF HATE by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-South Los Angeles)
Extends the sunset date for the Commission on the State of Hate, allowing it to continue its critical work analyzing and addressing hate crimes and hate incidents in California.
AB 1487 2STGI WELLNESS AND EQUITY FUND by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay)
Renames and expands the TGI Wellness and Equity Fund to explicitly include TwoSpirit community members and broaden grant eligibility to support workforce development, diversion programs, and services for immigrants and asylees.
SB 278 IMPROVING HIV DATA SHARING by Senator Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo)
Improves HIV care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries by allowing the secure disclosure of HIV laboratory results to Medi-Cal managed care plans to support care coordination and quality improvement activities.
SB 504 ENHANCING HIV DATA REPORTING by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz)
Improves HIV data reporting among healthcare providers, local health officers, and the California Department of Public Health to strengthen HIV surveillance and care coordination.
STATUS: VETOED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
STATUS: SIGNED by Governor Newsom
METHODOLOGY
In the scorecard that follows, the analysis of votes is based primarily on the final floor votes cast on the measures.
¬ “YES” votes on scored legislation are represented by “Y” and “NO” votes are represented by “N.”
¬ Legislators who are present but not voting are denoted by an “A” for “ABSTAINING” or “NO VOTE RECORDED,” which is scored as equivalent to a “NO” vote on scored legislation. Passage of legislation typically requires a “YES” vote by the majority of all legislators, so failing to cast a vote has the same effect as a “NO” vote.
¬ Legislators who were officially absent for a vote did not have that vote factored into their rating and are denoted on the scorecard with an “E” for “EXCUSED.” Missed votes on scored legislation may be excused if the legislator was a co-author, voted to support the legislation at a previous floor vote or in committee, or was absent from the floor on official business.
¬ The overall score reflects legislators’ votes on Equality California-sponsored bills. We also publish votes on additional priority measures from the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, though these bills are not scored and do not impact legislators’ overall ratings.
¬ Members of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus are denoted with an “*” and authors of sponsored and priority legislation are denoted with a “+” next to their names.
PLEASE NOTE: AB 908 (Solache) is not scored because the bill became a two-year bill that will continue to move forward in 2026.
LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD
Voted NO N
Author of sponsored/priority legislation
GOVERNOR
SENATE MEMBERS PARTY AB 82 (Ward) AB 554 (M. González) AB 678 (Lee) AB 1084 (Zbur) SB 59 (Wiener) SB 418 (Menjivar) SB 450 (Menjivar) SB 497 (Wiener) SB 590 (Durazo) SCORE AB 449 (Jackson) AB 727 (M. González) AB 822 (Elhawary) AB 1487 (Addis) SB 278 (Cabaldon) SB 504 (Laird)
MEMBERS
DISTRICT AB 82 (Ward) AB 554 (M. González) AB 678 (Lee) AB 1084 (Zbur) SB 59 (Wiener) SB 418 (Menjivar) SB 450 (Menjivar) SB 497 (Wiener) SB 590 (Durazo) SCORE AB 449 (Jackson) AB 727 (M. González) AB 822 (Elhawary) AB 1487 (Addis) SB 278 (Cabaldon) SB 504 (Laird)
With the transgender community under attack from the Trump administration starting day one, I knew that myself and the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus had a tremendous responsibility to defend against the worst intentions of the federal government. And I never had any doubt that Equality California would stand beside me, helping mobilize and coordinate support for these efforts. Their work was invaluable in advocating for my pair of bills — SB 59 and SB 497 — which protect both the sensitive court and medical records of transgender individuals. Once again, our collaborative work resulted in a victory for transgender Californians, and I am proud to have received Governor Newsom’s signature on this legislation, which would not have been possible without the many phone calls, messages, and in-person testimony that Equality California selflessly helped facilitate.
MEMBERS PARTY DISTRICT AB 82 (Ward) AB 554 (M. González) AB 678 (Lee) AB 1084 (Zbur) SB 59 (Wiener) SB 418 (Menjivar) SB 450 (Menjivar) SB 497 (Wiener) SB 590 (Durazo) SCORE AB 449 (Jackson) AB 727 (M. González) AB 822 (Elhawary) AB 1487 (Addis) SB 278 (Cabaldon) SB 504 (Laird)
SEN. SCOTT WIENER
I’ve had the unique experience of seeing the legislative process work from both sides of the coin — first as the former executive director of Equality California, and now as an elected state assemblymember. This perspective has given me even greater appreciation for the amount of work that goes into making sure that bills successfully complete their journey from the halls of the legislature to the governor’s desk. I joined several of my colleagues in the LGBTQ Legislative Caucus this year in working with urgency to shore up rights for the transgender community — specifically with AB 1084, The Transgender Records Act — which expedites the process for trans and nonbinary people to request hearings for name and gender marker changes. Even with the added pressure of escalating federal attacks, Equality California stood firm in helping push several pieces of priority legislation through the process and earning the governor’s signature. I could not be more proud of their success and grateful for their support, and it is an honor to have played a role helping to establish their legacy.
ASM. RICK CHAVEZ ZBUR
Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve.