Governor Newsom signs bill to prosecute threats against schools, workplaces, places of worship, and hospitals

California Penal Code Section 422 criminalizes credible threats to commit a violent act causing death or great bodily injury at a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility. This bill clarifies that such threats are criminal even if a specific person isn’t identified.

“Californians should not fear attending our schools or places of worship, and those who make threats against these vulnerable spaces should be held accountable for their actions,” said California Police Chiefs Association President Jason Salazar. “SB 19 takes an important step towards making our communities safer by closing a loophole that has allowed these threats to happen with impunity, and we are grateful for the Governor’s action today in signing this critical legislation.”

What this means 

✅ Creates a new crime addressing situations in which  someone makes a threat to commit a violent act at a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility.

✅ Threats include statements or other communications, including images posted on social media, intended to create fear of a violent act and which cause fear for one’s safety or the safety of others at these sensitive locations. 

Extremists and extremist groups

There are over 100 active hate-motivated extremist groups in California, according to state law enforcement experts, compared to nearly 1,400 hate-motivated extremist groups nationwide.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security report, White supremacist and anti-government violent extremists are considered a top domestic terror threat. Unfortunately, in an attempt to suppress this vital information from the public, the Trump Administration removed this report from the federal government’s website. For reference, it can be viewed here.

Building on robust efforts to protect the California Dream

Earlier this year, Governor Newsom announced $76 million in grants, made in partnership with the state Legislature, to 347 community groups across the state to protect nonprofits and houses of worship from violence, the most that’s ever been awarded. Nearly doubling previous award amounts, this year’s California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program awardees received funding due to their high risk for violent attacks and hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs or mission with funding for security enhancements.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) administers these funds, which directly support physical security measures such as reinforced doors, gates, high-intensity lighting, access control systems, development and enhancement of security plans and protocols. Since the inception of the program in fiscal year 2015, the state has awarded $228,750,000 in state funding to 1,271 organizations at high risk of being targeted for hate crimes.