California lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a bill that would require state agencies collecting demographic data on ancestry or ethnicity to offer an optional “Jewish” category.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1387 authored by Democratic Sen. Henry Stern, cleared both chambers in the closing hours of the 2026 legislative session. It now sits on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, where he has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.

If enacted, the measure would make California the first state to treat Jewish identity as an ethnicity for official data collection purposes. State forms used by agencies ranging from public schools and universities to the Employment Development Department for unemployment data would include the voluntary option alongside existing categories.

Proponents say the change would produce more accurate counts of the state’s roughly 1.2 million Jewish residents. The data could improve tracking of hate crimes, public health initiatives such as genetic screening for conditions more common in Jewish populations, and assessments of employment and educational representation.

The bill explicitly makes selection voluntary and prohibits disclosure of individual information. It would take effect in 2030 to align with updates to other demographic categories.

Stern, who is Jewish, introduced the measure to recognize that many Jews view their identity through cultural, ancestral, and ethnic lenses rather than solely religious ones. Similar reasoning has supported other ethnic categories already tracked by the state.

The proposal advanced with bipartisan support and drew backing from Jewish California, an advocacy coalition. Some critics raised privacy concerns, though supporters noted existing state protections against misuse of personal data.

Newsom has not publicly commented on the bill. The governor faces a deadline of Sept. 30 for action on legislation passed this session.