Bill > AB7

This bill would allow California State University, University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions to provide admissions preferences to applicants who are descendants of slavery, as long as doing so does not conflict with federal law. The bill specifically defines "descendant of slavery" as an individual with direct lineage to someone subjected to American chattel slavery before 1900, who meets specific criteria such as being emancipated through legal or extralegal means, obtaining freedom through abolition statutes, being classified as a fugitive from bondage, deemed contraband by military authorities, or having rendered military or civic service while subject to legal restrictions based on ancestry associated with slavery. This proposed legislation aims to provide a pathway for institutions of higher education to consider the historical impacts of slavery when making admissions decisions, while carefully defining the parameters of who would qualify for such a preference. The bill recognizes the ongoing legacy of slavery and seeks to create an opportunity for descendants of enslaved people to access higher education.

Budget and Finance, Education, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB7