Bill > SB539

This bill, titled the Frederick Douglass Liberty Act, prohibits the use of names of elected leaders or senior military officers of the Confederate States of America for naming state or local property, such as buildings, parks, or roadways, starting January 1, 2017. Any existing property named after such individuals prior to this date must have its name changed and associated signs removed, though this provision does not apply to cities, counties, or political jurisdictions named before January 1, 2016, nor to property within those jurisdictions that incorporates their names. The bill also makes conforming changes to existing law and includes a statement of legislative findings that the Confederate States of America's secession was rooted in the defense of slavery and that using such names on public property is antithetical to California's mission for racial equality.