Since her election in 2022, Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-Van Nuys) has made expanding access to condoms for minors a top legislative priority, introducing bill after bill aimed at increasing condom distribution in public schools and prohibiting retailers from refusing to sell condoms to youth.
In 2023, Menjivar introduced SB 541, a bill that sought to expand condom availability for students in grades 7–12 and restrict age-based retail sales policies. Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, citing cost concerns and the lack of funding to implement its mandates. Undeterred, Menjivar returned in 2024 with SB 954, a substantially similar proposal. Once again, Governor Newsom vetoed the bill, again pointing to fiscal concerns.
Given two consecutive vetoes from a governor generally aligned with progressive social policy, it was surprising, but revealing, that Senator Menjivar introduced SB 608 last year, essentially reviving the same policy agenda for a third attempt.
Initially, the bill appeared stalled. In April, the Senate Appropriations Committee held SB 608, signaling serious concerns about cost and feasibility, consistent with the governor’s earlier veto messages. But just last week, the committee abruptly reversed course, releasing the bill and allowing it to move forward. As a result, SB 608 is once again alive and eligible for a full vote on the Senate floor at any time.
California Family Council has opposed each of these bills and will continue to oppose SB 608.
Why CFC Opposes SB 608
SB 608 undermines the moral, emotional, and spiritual health of California’s youth by normalizing and promoting early sexual activity. Rather than protecting the innocence of children and encouraging sexual integrity, the bill mandates the widespread distribution of condoms in public schools, beginning as early as seventh grade. This policy sends a clear message to young teens that the state expects, and facilitates, sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage, with the false promise that condoms make sex safe.
CFC believes that true public health is not found in facilitating teen sexual experimentation, but in promoting abstinence, self-control, and respect for the God-given purpose of sexuality within marriage. As Scripture reminds us, “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18, ESV), a standard that stands in stark contrast to Sacramento’s growing eagerness to institutionalize sexual permissiveness among minors.
Additionally, SB 608 bans retail age restrictions on over-the-counter contraception, further eroding community standards and disregarding the rights of parents to raise their children according to their deeply held religious and moral convictions. Parents, not the state, are the primary educators and moral guides of their children.
What Comes Next
With SB 608 now released from the Senate Appropriations Committee, the bill could be taken up by the Senate at any time. California Family Council will continue to monitor the legislation closely, engage lawmakers, and mobilize concerned parents and citizens to oppose yet another attempt to sideline parental rights and promote policies that harm children.
