California Governor Rejects Bill Requiring Schools to Provide Free Condoms

California schools will not be required to provide free condoms to high school students next year after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto a bill that would have mandated it.
The legislation would have ensured that all public high school students have access to free condoms and prevented schools from prohibiting condom distribution during sex education classes and health fairs.
The measure also would have prohibited pharmacies and other retailers from asking condom buyers for identification.
In his rejection letter Wednesday, Newsom explained the costly program would put pressure on the state’s education budget.
He rejected the same bill last year, also for financial reasons.
California’s Proposition 98 created a constitutional amendment in 1988 that established an annual minimum funding level for kindergarten through community college students.
“It is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications that are not included in the budget, such as this measure,” Newsom wrote in his rejection letter.
The legislation was favored by multiple health associations and Democrats, while a number of Christian and family council groups opposed it.
San Fernando Valley Sen. Caroline Menjivar, who authored the legislation, argued she found $5 million in the state budget for the program. She accused the governor of ulterior motives for not signing the bill.
“While I cannot speculate on an ulterior motive, let’s get real, it’s not the cost,” Menjivar wrote in a press release Thursday. “The ongoing cost California cannot afford is the $1 [billion] we spend annually on [sexually transmitted infections] related care.”
The bill was co-sponsored by Black Women for Wellness Action Project, California School-Based Health Alliance, Essential Access Health, GENup, Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, and Voters of Tomorrow.
The coalition expressed sadness about the veto.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the governor’s decision to veto SB 954,” the groups wrote in a press release Thursday.
The coalition vowed to continue working with Menjivar and community partners to advance youth sexual and reproductive health, according to its statement.
Some high schools in California already make free condoms available, including high schools in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The measure would have required all public and charter high schools to make condoms available for students for free starting in the 2025–2026 school year.
Schools would also have been required to post a notice informing students of where to get the free condoms and where to find sexual and reproductive health information and resources.