Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of six bills on Saturday aimed at increasing protections for LGBTQ people across California, covering everything from discharged transgender veterans to access to HIV-prevention drugs. The governor framed the signings as a direct response to recent moves by the Trump administration that he said threaten support for LGBTQ residents.
The measures, signed Sept. 26, were priority bills of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, according to the Los Angeles Times. One of the six bills provides housing, employment and other assistance to service members who were discharged from the U.S. military because of efforts to bar transgender people from serving. Other bills in the package create stronger privacy protections by limiting the sharing of a person's sexual orientation and gender identity, while another new law enhances access to PrEP and PEP drugs aimed at preventing HIV.
Subpoenas, Privacy and a Nod to the State Budget
Additional bills signed by Newsom require health care providers to notify the California attorney general when they receive a subpoena regarding state-protected health care activities, the newspaper's report notes. The signings come against the backdrop of the state's 2026 budget, which included $66 million to help people access gender-affirming care and abortion, per the same account.
Newsom's office said in a statement that the Trump administration has launched an all-out assault on the LGBTQ community, and that California will not stand for attacks on the community. The governor has signed dozens of bills adding protections for LGBTQ people since 2019, a track record the newspaper's report frames the latest package within.
Caucus Leaders and a Veterans' Advocate Weigh In
Assembly Bill 1775, the veterans-focused measure in the package, was authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward, according to LegiScan records. Ward said California is standing with veterans who were unjustly forced out of uniform, a statement that speaks directly to service members swept up in efforts to ban transgender people from military service.
Sabrina Cervantes, chair-elect of the LGBTQ Caucus, said the caucus advanced legislation meeting the real needs of the LGBTQ community. She added that the bills' progress can help LGBTQ+ people and their families live with greater safety, opportunity and dignity, underscoring the caucus's role in shepherding the package through the Legislature.
