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Bill to safeguard public spaces in CA moves to governor's desk
The measure lets prosecutors charge threats against schools, hospitals, and other public places even without a named victim.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 12, Sep 2025
- 17:22 EDT
- 13
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel / Facebook
A public safety bill (SB 19) introduced by California Assemblymember Darshana Patel (D–San Diego County) has been sent to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk
The legislation, jointly authored with Senator Susan Rubio (D–Baldwin Park), would close a longstanding loophole in California’s criminal threat law by allowing prosecution of threats against schools, hospitals, places of worship, daycares, and workplaces even when no individual is specifically named.
Also Read: Darshana Patel hails California’s 2025-26 budget
Patel, who originally introduced Assembly Bill 237 before it was merged into Rubio’s measure in the senate, said her push was shaped by a troubling San Diego case in 2023.
In that incident, a man sent 350 emails threatening to carry out a mass shooting at Shoal Creek Elementary School. Because the threats were directed at a building rather than a person, prosecutors initially struggled to bring charges under existing state law.
“By clarifying that it is a crime to threaten a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility, SB 19 strengthens public safety and allows for a commonsense solution to a serious and unfortunately common problem,” Patel said.
Rubio said her own experience as a former teacher shaped her advocacy. “When I was a teacher, I lived through real lockdowns with terrified kids. I saw the panic in my students’ eyes. In that moment, it doesn’t matter if the threat is real or not – the trauma is,” she said, adding that SB 19 will ensure law enforcement has the tools to act on credible threats before lives are at risk.
The bill comes amid a surge in threats against public institutions. In 2023, more than 1,100 threats were reported against schools and universities in California, while religious institutions nationwide faced over 400 threats or attacks.
Lawmakers also pointed to the rising toll of hoax “swatting” calls, which force schools and hospitals into lockdowns and require costly police deployments, even when no actual danger exists.
To safeguard free speech, the measure only applies to deliberate and specific threats that cause sustained fear, not vague or rhetorical remarks. It also includes provisions for minors, allowing courts to consider alternatives to punitive measures for young offenders.
With unanimous approval in the Senate and strong bipartisan backing in the Assembly, SB 19 now awaits Newsom’s signature. If enacted, it would mark one of the most significant updates to California’s threat statute in decades.
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