On Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Higher Education AI Response (HEAR) Survivors Act. First introduced to the committee on Feb. 19, 2026, the act amends the Education Code’s definition of sexual harassment to include additional terms regarding digitized explicit materials and technology-facilitated sexual harassment. It aims to support the right of university students to pursue their education free from discrimination and harassment.
Existing law prohibits any kind of sexual harassment towards California students, categorizing it as a form of sex discrimination. The HEAR Act amends the stated terms and definitions for sexual harassment and reforms it to include the parameters of consent, the distribution or generation of explicit or otherwise sensitive photos and videos and other forms of technology-facilitated harassment.
The act received approval from voters at each stage of the process and received unanimous votes from both Democratic and Republican Voters. It was also backed by external organizations, such as the California Women’s Law Center, who contributed testimonies in hearings, stated their positions for bill analysis and reaffirmed their support in written testimonies. However, the act was primairly sponsored by the UCLA Survivors + Allies, a student-led organization at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that advocates for survivors of sexual violence both on and off of their campus. Members of the group lobbied for the bill by testifying at the state Capitol, their efforts drawing endorsements from supporting organizations such as the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) and the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC).
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the act, stated, “Assembly Bill (AB) 2212 is a direct response to student voices and experiences, and we are so proud of and grateful to the students who led this effort and mobilized their peers, communities, and elected representatives to pass this bill.” The act has since been signed into law and will take effect in August of 2027.
UCLA Survivors + Allies also stated, “With this law, all California college students will officially have a right to seek support… At a time when the federal government is failing survivors, we hope that AB 2212 can inspire other students across the country to demand change.”
The act also requests that UC regents require employment applicants to disclose any final administrative or judicial decisions made regarding misconduct including sexual harassment within the last seven years.. UCR students are currently able to receive services from several offices located on campus, including confidential resources such as the Office of the Ombuds, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE). Emergencies can also be reported to the UC Police Department through call or text.
