California

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California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday (Oct 8) rejected a bill that would have made free condoms available to all public high school students in the US state. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press, Governor Newsom argued that Senate Bill 541 was too expensive for a state with a budget deficit of over $30 billion. “This bill would create an unfunded mandate to public schools that should be considered in the annual budget process,” Newsom said.

The governor said that programmes increasing access to condoms are “important to supporting improved adolescent sexual health.” But he said this bill was one of several measures lawmakers passed this year that, when added together, would add $19 billion in costs to the state budget.

The bill and its implication

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Senate Bill 541 would have required all public schools that have grades nine through 12 to make condoms available for free to all students. The bill would have required public schools with grades seven through 12 to allow condoms to be made available as part of educational or public health programmes.

"The bill would authorize a state agency, the State Department of Education, or a public school to accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source for the support of a public school carrying out these provisions, including, but not limited to, the acceptance of condoms from a manufacturer or wholesaler," an official summary of the bill said

The bill would have also made it illegal for retailers to refuse to sell condoms to youth.

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State Senator Caroline Menjivar, who authored the bill, said it would have helped “youth who decide to become sexually active to protect themselves and their partners from (sexually transmitted infections), while also removing barriers that potentially shame them and lead to unsafe sex.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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