What is SB-403?
Californian Senate Bill SB 403 Authored by State Senator Aisha Wahab and Co-Author Assemblymember Dr. Bains. The bill clarifies existing civil rights protections for Californians experiencing caste discrimination by adding caste to ancestry and defining caste in the Unruh Civil Rights Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act, and Education Code. it is a severe problem, and one of the major issues is that those who discriminate based on caste assert that caste does not exist and is not covered by the law.
This is why SB403 is necessary. We need state intervention that clarifies the law and makes explicit that caste discrimination is unlawful. The enactment of SB 403 would set a foundation to educate people, and encourage companies and organizations to create cultures of belonging that includes caste-impacted people like myself. This can be a powerful deterrent against any future caste violence.
The Caste Equity Movement has been advocating for many years in Calfornia to address caste discrimination. The need for clarity is essential shared by civil society, education institutions, and government institutions as well.
In 2021, the California Democratic Party added caste as a protected category to its Code of Conduct.
In 2022, the California State University system added caste to their anti-discrimination policies.
In November 2022 State Senator Aisha Wahab on the campaign trail heard many stories of caste discrimination and it informed her decision to take on this bill in January 2023.
For more information the bill can be found here. The bill was drafted by leading legal experts and scholars including members from the American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association, National Asian American Bar Association, Caste Equity Legal Taskforce, and the UN Rapporteur on Racism and Discrimination.
The voting record of the bill is here
