Assembly Judiciary advances privacy, housing, AI and likeness bills; several move to appropriations or other committees

The California State Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced multiple bills during a session that ranged from privacy protections for transgender Californians to expedited court review of unlawful housing denials and clarifications to remedies for misuse of name or likeness. Lawmakers debated details, heard supporters and opponents, and voted to move the measures to the next committee or next step in the legislative process.

The committee heard extended testimony on two privacy bills that supporters said respond to recent threats to transgender people and to providers who offer gender‑affirming care. SB 59 would automatically seal court filings related to adult name and gender‑identifier changes (it builds on 2023 protections for minors); sponsors said the change responds to doxxing and threats. SB 497 would limit out‑of‑state access to California prescription monitoring data (the CURES database) and bar disclosure of gender‑affirming care records absent a warrant or other court order; proponents said the measure protects patients and clinicians from cross‑jurisdictional enforcement efforts.

A housing bill, SB 808, would create an…