California Advances Bill to Recognize Jewish Ethnicity on Government Forms

SACRAMENTO (VINnews)-California is advancing legislation that could make it the first state in the nation to recognize Jewish identity as an optional ethnic category on government forms used for demographic data collection.

Senate Bill 1387, introduced by Sen. Henry Stern, D-Sherman Oaks, would require state agencies that gather information on ancestry or ethnic origin to include a separate option for Jewish ancestry or ethnicity. The measure would apply to data collection in areas including education, health, employment and criminal justice.

Information collected under the bill would appear only in aggregated public reports beginning in 2027. Personal details would remain confidential. Selection of the Jewish category would be voluntary, and individuals could still choose multiple identities.

Supporters say a majority of American Jews describe their identity in terms of culture, ancestry, history and community rather than religion alone. They argue that listing Jewish primarily under religious categories produces incomplete data, limiting effective responses to antisemitism, public health needs and educational outcomes.

The bill passed the Senate earlier this year and has cleared several Assembly policy committees. It currently sits with the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Prediction markets put the probability of final enactment by the end of 2026 at roughly three in four.