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California 20252026

AB 1940

Unlawful practices: discrimination: menopause.

Open original source Back to bills
Source: Open States / PluralUpdated 2026-09-12 13:12:55 UTC.

Official record

Measure details

Jurisdiction
California
Session
20252026
Chamber
lower
Classification
bill
Subjects
Unlawfulpractices, discrimination, menopause
Introduced / first action
2026-02-13 00:00:00

Source-supplied abstracts

(1) Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , establishes the Civil Rights Department to enforce civil rights laws with respect to housing and employment, as prescribed. The FEHA recognizes and declares to be a civil right the opportunity to seek, obtain, and hold employment and housing without discrimination because of a specified characteristic. The FEHA makes certain discriminatory practices based on those characteristics unlawful. The FEHA also declares that its purpose is to provide effective remedies that will eliminate these discriminatory practices. The FEHA defines terms used in connection with unlawful practices. These include "sex," which includes pregnancy or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to childbirth, and breastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding. This bill would include perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause or other related medical conditions within the above definition of sex. The FEHA separately defines the term "medical condition" to mean either a health impairment related to or associated with a diagnosis of cancer or a record or history of cancer or specified genetic characteristics. The Unruh Civil Rights Act (Unruh Act) establishes that all persons within the jurisdiction of the state are free and equal and, regardless of their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments, as prescribed. The Unruh Act defines "sex" to include, among other things, pregnancy, childbirth, or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. This bill would provide that "medical condition" as used in the definition of "sex" in FEHA and the Unruh Act includes, but is not limited to, the conditions included in the definition of "medical condition" in FEHA. (2) Existing law requires the Civil Rights Department to provide a poster on discrimination in employment to an employer or a member of the public upon request. Existing law requires the poster to be available at each office of the department and requires each employer to post the poster in a prominent and accessible location in the workplace, as prescribed. This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2027, to update the poster to notify people of their rights and protections in regard to perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause, or related medical conditions. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 51 of the Civil Code proposed by AB 2563 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2563 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 12926 of the Government Code proposed by AB 2563 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2563 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Sponsors

Source-supplied history

Actions

  1. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  2. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 65. Noes 9.).

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  3. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  4. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 1.).

    passage, reading-1, reading-3

  5. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  6. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  8. Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2

  9. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (August 13).

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  10. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  11. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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  12. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  13. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L., P.E. & R. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee

  14. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  15. Referred to Coms. on JUD. and L., P.E. & R.

    referral-committee

  16. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1, referral-committee

  17. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 9.)

    passage, reading-1, reading-3

  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  19. Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2

  20. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 14).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage

  21. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  22. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee

  23. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2

  24. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 21).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee

  25. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  26. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee

  27. Coauthors revised.

  28. Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  29. From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  30. Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

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Related measures

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