California Senate Bill 19 (SB 19), also known as the Safe Schools and Places of worship act, took effect Jan. 1, 2026, expanding protections for schools and places of worship against criminal threats.
SB 19, drafted by Senator Susan Rubio and Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel, strengthens California Penal Code Section 422 which criminalizes threats of violence to address the limitation of the existing law. California Penal Code Section 422 states that any form of threat made to another person, regardless of whether the action is carried out or not, is to be considered a threat. SB 19 clarifies that threats made towards institutions, not just to specific persons, are criminalized as well.
In her statement, Senator Rubio argued that recent cases have demonstrated the necessity for SB 19, citing multiple incidents in which the existing law failed to adequately provide a legal framework for prosecution. A notable example was the case of a 38-year-old man who was accused of sending over 350 emails threatening to commit a mass shooting at an elementary school. His case was initially dismissed as the threats weren’t targeting a specific person. Prosecutors later named the principal as the victim.
SB 19 was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Oct. 11, 2025. Newsom stated he is “proud to give prosecutors the tools necessary so they can stop violence before it starts” and that “California families deserve to feel safe when they drop their kids off at school, go to a doctor’s appointment or practice their religion.”
The bill faced criticism from opposition. According to The Observer, the Black Parallel School Board shared their concern that SB 19 could be wielded as a weapon to criminalize marginalized students rather than providing a protection. They argued that “factors such as explicit and implicit bias unfairly influence how teachers and administrators interpret student behavior, resulting in disproportionate adverse effects on Black, brown and disabled students.”
According to a report by American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, presence of law enforcement in schools have shown a disproportionately heightened rate of arrest and referrals for students with color and disabilities as “Black students are three times more likely to be referred to law enforcement compared to white students.” Opponents of SB 19 believe that the bill will be used to widen the school-to-prison pipeline.
