SACRAMENTO, California (Press Release) –With unimaginable levels of antisemitism following October 7, 2023 – when Hamas committed its terrorist onslaught in Israel – JPAC is sponsoring its most number of bills yet, working to ensure the safety of Jewish students, workers, and members of society.
David Bocarsly, JPAC executive director, said, his organization “is working with the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and our member organizations to sponsor a package of impactful bills that further antisemitism education, enhance secure infrastructure, and respond to violence and harassment in our schools and throughout our society.”
He added: “We’re continuing to live into our values by promoting a more just and prosperous world for all.”
The proposed legislation includes seven bills to counter antisemitism and hate and another three bills to support vulnerable communities:
Counter Antisemitism & Hate
California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program – $80 million: Provides funding for synagogues and other nonprofits at risk of hate-motivated violence to secure their institutions from hate crimes.
CA Teachers Collaborative on Holocaust and Genocide Education – $5 million: Expands the work of the Teachers Collaborative to ensure schools meet their requirement to teach about the Holocaust. The Teachers Collaborative is composed of 14 leading California Holocaust and genocide educational institutions working together to create lesson plans, vehicles for the distribution of new curriculum, and teacher training programs.
SB 1287 (Glazer): Requires higher education institutions to implement code of conduct policies around appropriate punishments for students who call for genocide of another people.
AB 2925 (Friedman): Requires antisemitism to be included in higher education anti-discrimination and DEI trainings.
SB 1421 (Stern): Empowers the California Department of Education to investigate districts for bad conduct.
SB 1277 (Stern): Codifies the CA Teachers Collaborative on Holocaust and Genocide Education as an official state program.
AB 2867 (Gabriel): Ensures that California law is applied to protect residents seeking to reclaim art stolen in times of political persecution. This is a critical protection for many in our own community who were victims of the Nazi looting in World War II.
Support Vulnerable Communities
SB 85 (Wiener): CA Extended Case Management Act – Extends critical case management services for new refugees beyond the federal government’s 90 days. Offers an additional 90-270 days, depending on need.
AB 2507 (Friedman): Pilots an interest-free student loan program to benefit students from low-income, homeless, at-risk of homelessness, or food insecure families, supported by Jewish Free Loan Association. This bill would be a first step in moving us towards a state-wide interest-free student loan program.
San Diego Rapid Response Network Funding Restoration – $150 million budget restoration: Restores funding for programs that support asylum seekers in the California border region, including Jewish Family Service’s Asylum Seeker Shelter and Services.
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Preceding provided by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California.