Local government: collection of demographic data.

Senator Richardson's proposal to enhance demographic data collection by California's local governments would require cities and counties to expand their employment demographic tracking to include additional categories for Black and African American groups, mirroring requirements already in place for state agencies.

The measure, which would take effect January 1, 2027, directs local jurisdictions to incorporate more detailed ancestry and ethnic origin categories when collecting demographic information from government employees. According to the bill's findings, these expanded data categories aim to enable more precise tracking of residents who descend from persons enslaved and emancipated in the United States, also known as American Freedmen. The legislation emphasizes that collected information must adhere to existing privacy laws and data security protocols.

The bill designates this data collection requirement as a matter of statewide concern, making it applicable to all California cities, including charter cities. Local governments that incur costs from implementing these new requirements would be eligible for state reimbursement, pending review by the Commission on State Mandates. This provision aligns with California's constitutional requirement to reimburse local agencies for state-mandated programs.