California Gov. Newsom vetoes bill to make free condoms available at high schools

Oct. 9 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have made condoms available for free to all public high school students, stating the program would have been unfunded.

Senate Bill 541 by state Sen. Caroline Menjivar would have mandated all students in grades nine through 12 have access to free condoms at a minimum of two locations on public school grounds, while prohibiting stores from refusing sales of nonprescription contraception based on age.

The Democratic governor said in a statement Sunday that while access to evidence-based strategies to curb sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies are important to improved adolescent sexual health, "this bill would create an unfunded mandate to public schools that should be considered in the annual budget process."

He said that while the legislature enacted a budget to address a $30 billion deficit, lawmakers have sent him bills that would add nearly $19 billion in unaccounted costs, including $11 billion that would be ongoing, such as the funding for condoms.

"With our state facing continuing economic risk and revenue uncertainty, it is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications, such as this measure," the governor said.

Menjivar described the veto in a statement to the Los Angeles Times as a "set back" for sexual health equity.

"We spend millions of dollars on [sexually transmitted infection] healthcare every year when prevention costs far less than treatment," she said. "This is a youth-led bill and we need to meet high school students where they are to properly address the STI crisis in California."

According to the vetoed bill, California youth, and in particular its youth of color, are disproportionately affected by the STI crisis, with half of all STIs in the state experienced among youth 15 to 24 years of age.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 2019 states that about 28% of respondents said they were sexually active, with 44.6% of those stating they did not use a condom during their last sexual experience.