A new law signed Saturday by Governor Gavin Newsom changes housing requirements for transgender prison inmates in California.
As things stand now, transgender people are automatically assigned to a prison facility that corresponds to their birth-assigned gender, said State Senator Scott Wiener.
The new law, authored by Wiener, will require that transgender inmates be housed according to their gender identity.
Wiener said that the current arrangement puts trans people at risk.
"Trans people, particularly trans women, are at very, very high risk of violence, including sexual violence, and the rates of violence against trans people, particularly trans women in prison – it's off the charts," he told KCBS Radio.
The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
"California will be only the third state to take this step, and it's a big deal," Wiener said.
Another new law written by the senator and signed by the governor this weekend requires health officials to better track the impact of infectious diseases on the LGBTQ community.
That law goes into effect immediately.
