CA Assembly unanimously approves bill to end legacy admissions in the name of 'equity'

On May 21, the California Assembly passed a bill that would prohibit legacy admissions in both public and private colleges in the name of “equity.”

Introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) on Jan. 3, Assembly Bill 1780 attempts to “address legacy admissions in order to bring more equity and fairness to college admissions.”

The bill cleared the assembly with a 55-0 vote total, with 25 members absent from the vote. It is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate Education Committee. 

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According to California Legislative Information, A.B. 1780 “would require the civil penalty to be assessed and recovered by the Department of Justice and deposited into the Cal Grant Account, which the bill would establish in the State Treasury,” and “would require funds in the account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be available for purposes of funding the Cal Grant Program or the Cal Grant Reform Act.”

If passed, the bill would also direct the California Department of Justice “to post the names of the independent institutions of higher education that violate the prohibition on its internet website.”

A.B. 1780 would go into effect by June 30, 2026, as impacted schools would then need to report to the state legislature and Department of Justice the “legacy status, donor status, race, geography, income brackets, and athletic status of all admitted students at the independent institution of higher education.” 

Schools would also need to provide the “admission rate of students who are provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions, as compared to the admission rate of students who are not provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions.”

[Colleges are ending legacy admissions following SCOTUS affirmative action decision]

“If you work hard, get good grades and have a well-rounded background, your spot should not be taken by someone else just because their family can write a big check or is a graduate of that school,” Ting said in a press release after the bill’s passage in the assembly. “If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field. That means making the college application process more fair and equitable.”

Virginia banned legacy admissions in March, with one Democrat state senator calling the practice “indefensible.” 

New York is also considering legislation to ban legacy admissions, with a Democrat state senator arguing it primarily benefits “wealthy, predominately-white families.” 

Campus Reform has contacted Ting’s office and Stanford University for comment. This article will be uploaded accordingly.