Assembly BillVetoedEducation
AB 7: Postsecondary education: admissions preference: descendants of slavery.
What AB 7 does, verified March 9, 2026
The bill aims to allow California institutions of higher education to consider providing a preference in admissions to applicants who are descendants of slavery. This preference would not conflict with federal law. The bill builds upon existing laws, including the California Constitution, which prohibits discrimination against individuals or groups based on certain characteristics, and the Donahoe Higher Education Act, which sets forth the missions and functions of California's higher education institutions. The bill does not grant preferential treatment to individuals or groups based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Instead, it provides a preference to applicants with a specific historical background.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
5GovernorCurrent
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. (2026-01-22)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions31 total · showing 5
| Jan. 22, 2026 | Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. |
| Jan. 22, 2026 | Stricken from file. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Consideration of Governor's veto pending. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Vetoed by Governor. |
| Sep. 24, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
Latest bill textEnrolled version, September 16, 2025 · 480 words
| Enrolled September 16, 2025 |
| Passed IN Senate September 09, 2025 |
| Passed IN Assembly September 12, 2025 |
| Amended IN Senate July 03, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 7
| Introduced by Assembly Member Bryan (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta, Gipson, Jackson, McKinnor, and Wilson) (Principal coauthors: Senators Smallwood-Cuevas and Weber Pierson) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Elhawary, Kalra, and Sharp-Collins) (Coauthor: Senator Richardson) |
December 02, 2024 |
An act to add Article 13 (commencing with Section 66097) to Chapter 2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 7, Bryan. Postsecondary education: admissions preference: descendants of slavery.
The California Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.
The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California’s public and independent segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. A provision of the act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make the provision applicable.
This bill would state that the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions may consider providing a preference in admissions to an applicant who is a descendant of slavery, as defined, to the extent it does not conflict with federal law.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 13 (commencing with Section 66097) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:Article 13. Admissions Preference for Descendants of Slavery
66097.
(a) The California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, as defined in Section 66010, and private postsecondary educational institutions, as defined in Section 94858, may consider providing a preference in admissions to an applicant who is a descendant of slavery. This subdivision shall be implemented only to the extent that it does not conflict with federal law.(b) For purposes of this section, “descendant of slavery” means an individual who can establish direct lineage to a person who, before 1900, was subjected to American chattel slavery and meets at least one of the following criteria:
(1) Was emancipated through legal or extralegal means, including self-purchase, manumission, legislative action, military service, or judicial ruling.
(2) Obtained freedom through gradual abolition statutes or constitutional amendments.
(3) Was classified as a fugitive from bondage under federal or state law.
(4) Was deemed contraband by military authorities.
(5) Rendered military or civic service while subject to legal restrictions based on ancestry historically associated with slavery.
Text of AB 7 as enrolled, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions