Senate Bill 702 (Limón): Transparency in Boards and Commissions

Our work to Ensure Transparency in Boards and Commissions

Since 2021, HOPE has partnered with Senator Monique Limón to champion legislation requiring demographic reporting on gubernatorial appointments. After five years of persistent advocacy and collaboration with statewide partners, Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed SB 702 into law.

This landmark legislation ensures greater transparency and accountability by requiring demographic reporting across all statewide appointing bodies. SB 702 reflects the collective efforts of the Latino, LGBTQ+, AAPI, and Women’s Legislative Caucuses, as well as bipartisan support across the Legislature.

This victory marks a significant step forward for representation and equitable participation in California’s leadership. HOPE is proud to have played a leading role in making this long-standing vision a reality, and we look forward to continuing to advance opportunities for all through data-driven policy change.

SB 702 (Limón)

SB 702 requires the Governor’s Office and Legislature, on or before January 1, 2028 and annually thereafter, to report the aggregate demographic information of individuals they appoint. The bill requires the report to be published on their respective website and for the Governor’s office to maintain an updated website with information on all state boards and commissions, including vacancies, current membership list, and frequency of meetings.

California Gubernatorial Appointments Report

In an effort to shed light on the demographic landscape of California’s gubernatorial appointments, HOPE’s comprehensive analysis provides crucial insights into the diversity and representation within the Governor’s appointed boards, commissions, and task forces in 2023. While the Governor achieved near gender parity in the appointments made by his office in 2023, our analysis shows that diverse voices remained underrepresented, particularly Latino and AAPI Californians. White Californians continued to hold the plurality of these positions at 52%, while Latinos, Black, AAPI, and Native American individuals make up 39% combined.

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