Bill > AB91

This bill, known as the Middle Eastern and North African Inclusion Act (MENA Inclusion Act), requires state and local agencies to collect and report more detailed demographic data about people of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) ancestry, starting January 1, 2028. Specifically, agencies must create separate collection categories for major MENA groups, including specific nationalities from the Middle East (such as Iranian, Iraqi, Lebanese) and North Africa (such as Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian), as well as transnational groups like Armenian, Assyrian, and Kurdish. By January 1, 2029, these agencies must include this data in their demographic reports and make the aggregated information publicly available, while strictly protecting individual privacy by prohibiting the disclosure of personal identifying information. The bill ensures that data can only be presented in aggregated forms at state, county, city, census tract, or ZIP code levels to prevent individual identification and maintain statistical reliability. The legislation applies to all California cities, including charter cities, and includes provisions for state reimbursement if the implementation creates additional costs for local agencies.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB91