Press Release

Senate Passes Senator Wiener Bills to Boost Housing Production in the Coastal Zone and Boost LGBTQ Health

SACRAMENTO – The Senate passed Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) Senate Bills 951 and 957. The bills will remove barriers to housing construction in the coastal zone, improve data collection to address LGBTQ health disparities. SB 951 passed 35-0, SB 957 passed 30-8. Both bills head next to the Assembly, where they must pass by August 31.

“I’m delighted to see the Senate advance these critical measures to protect a livable future for all Californians,” said Senator Wiener. “By boosting housing production in the coastal zone, SB 951 will improve quality of life for Californians while slashing our climate emissions. SB 957 will help us finally quantify health disparities faced by the LGBTQ community, a critical first step to eliminating health disparities. I look forward to pushing for all these measures in the Assembly.”

SB 951

While housing unaffordability is an issue throughout California, the added layers of discretionary permitting in the Coastal Zone have made the problem especially acute near the coast. This affordability crisis has had a profound impact on the racial and economic diversity of the coast, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions in the region:

According to a Stanford Environmental Law Journal report, within one kilometer of coastal access, white populations increase by 25 percent, while Hispanic and Latino populations fall 52 percent, and Black populations fall 60 percent. Coastal communities also have, on average, 18 percent fewer households below the poverty line.

According to a Legislative Analyst Office’s Report in 2015, the lack of affordable housing means workers in coastal communities often commute 10 percent further each day than their inland counterparts. Transportation is the leading source of carbon emissions in California, and these extra long commutes threaten the very coastal resources the Coastal Act was passed to protect by exacerbating the climate crisis.

SB 951 will aid housing production in the Coastal Zone - and driving emissions reductions - by aligning the timeline of the Commission’s approval of amendments to Local Coastal Plans with the timeline for rezonings required under housing element law.

Additionally, SB 951 clarifies that the Commission does not have jurisdiction to appeal projects in San Francisco that are within the permitted uses for a specific parcel where there is an LCP in place. Given these uses were present in the LCP when the Commission granted approval, projects that fall within these established parameters should not be worthy of an appeal, solely on the basis of the new use of the parcel.

SB 957

SB 957 enacts the full recommendations of last year’s state audit, which found that the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) failure to collect SOGI data impacted its ability to protect LGBTQ health. It builds on SB 932 (Wiener, Chapter 183, Statutes of 2020) and AB 959 (Chiu, Chapter 565, Statutes of 2015), which enacted the first requirements for the collection of SOGI data from state health agencies. Last year’s audit found that the state health department is sidestepping these requirements, and SB 957 closes the loopholes that allows evasion of the intent of laws that have been on the books for nearly a decade.

To ensure that CDPH collects complete SOGI data to effectively implement and deliver critical services for LGBTQ+ people, SB 957 will Implement the recommendations from the audit report by amending existing law to require CPDH to: 

  • Collect SOGI data from third-party entities, including local health jurisdictions, on any forms or electronic data systems unless prohibited by federal or state law;
  • Provide an annual report to the public and to the Legislature on its efforts to collect, analyze, and report SOGI data;
  • Improve services or program outcomes for underserved LGBTQ+ communities; 
  • Allow voluntarily provided SOGI data to be included with the immunization data

SB 957 is sponsored by Equality California and California LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network, San Francisco AIDS Foundation with the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus as a co-sponsor.

"Senate Bill 957 is a crucial step toward guaranteeing equitable healthcare for LGBTQ+ Californians. The collection of SOGI data is essential in advancing health equity across all demographics," stated Astin Williams, program coordinator with the CA LGBTQ HHS Network. "SOGI data is vital for crafting effective policies, ensuring fair resource distribution, and combating discrimination. This legislation would enhance CDPH and its programs, as well as local health jurisdictions, improve conditions, and amplify the visibility and representation of LGBTQ+ communities, paving the way for a more inclusive and just society."

”SFAF is glad to see this legislation moving forward. Collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity is essential to identifying disparities in access to health care and prevention services and will help us better target effective public health interventions and achieve health justice for all.” says Laura Thomas, Senior Director of HIV & Harm Reduction Policy with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 

Tony Hoang, Executive Director for Equality California, remarks that “The lack of complete SOGI data makes LGBTQ+ people invisible and significantly undermines our ability to understand and address health needs and disparities that exist among LGBTQ+ Californians. The State Auditor's report made it clear that there has been little progress in adopting and enforcing standardized definitions, guidelines, and training to ensure the consistent collection and reporting of SOGI data, which has limited the state's ability to respond to public health emergencies like COVID-19 and MPOX. SB 957 will improve health outcomes for LGBTQ+ Californians by helping reduce stigma, misinformation, ineffective service provision, and delayed responses to public health emergencies. We are grateful for Senator Wiener's long standing leadership in this effort to ensure LGBTQ+ people receive the health resources they need.” 

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