California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill (SB) 434, a bill designed to improve safety on California’s public transportation systems and stop AAPI hate.
California State Senator Dave Min championed the bill, collaborating with several advocacy groups including Stop AAPI Hate. The goal of the bill, now signed into law, is to collect more data on public transportation systems that can be used to improve safety.
The law will mandate that the top 10 transit operators in the state collect and disclose survey data on harassment incidents.
“Millions of Californians refuse to ride public transit in this state because they do not feel safe,” Senator Min said in a statement. “From acts of anti-Asian hate to verbal harassment, a growing number of women, seniors, LGBTQ+ and other vulnerable communities too often ride in fear or have left our public transit systems altogether.”
Min said he was proud the government was “finally taking action” to address safety on public transportation through “data-driven” approaches.
Stop AAPI thanked Gov. Newsom for signing the bill into law.
“This moment marks a win-win-win for transit agencies, the state, and most importantly, riders,” Cynthia Choi, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, said in a statement. “As Asian Americans and other targeted communities continue to face attacks on our safety and our rights, this legislation is more critical than ever.
“It will give power back to riders – women, members of the LQBTQ+ community, people of color, and more – by providing an avenue for victims and survivors to take action and be heard. Their voices can now directly inform data-driven solutions that ensure public transit is no longer an arena in which hate and harassment can thrive.”
While the new law is a win for the AAPI community, AAPI advocates are frustrated that Newsom chose to veto a bill that would ban caste discrimination in California.
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