By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
On Oct. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills written by members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC): Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles).
Weber Pierson’s bill, Senate Bill (SB) 39, titled “Cosmetic safety: vaginal suppositories,” extends California’s existing ban on cosmetics containing specific ingredients, including boric acid.
According to Weber Pierson, chair of the CLBC, the bill, titled postpones the effective date of the state’s ban on boric acid from Jan. 1, 2027, to Jan. 1, 2035.
The product labels on boric acid vaginal suppositories must include a warning to consumers, with a specific focus on pregnancy risks, stated Weber Pierson, who is also a medical doctor and board-certified for Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN).
“It also allows continued access if federally regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” Weber Pierson stated on Oct. 3.
According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), boric acid and its sodium borate salts are pesticides that occur naturally and are found in many products. More than 500 boric acid–based products are sold in the United States.
Boric acid and its sodium salts can be used to control a wide variety of pests. The living organisms and insects include spiders, mites, algae, molds, fungi, and weeds. Products that contain boric acid have been registered for use in the United States since 1948.
The new law, beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, prohibits a person or entity “from manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in commerce any cosmetic product that contains any of several specified intentionally added ingredients, including boric acid, except under specified circumstances.”
Deeannah Seymour, co-founder and CEO of pH-D Feminine Health, a company that creates wellness products for women, stated that SB 39 marks a milestone in women’s access to cosmetic products, including expanding the exemption for boric acid suppositories from the state’s extensive chemical ban.
“This conversation is much bigger than a product,” Seymour added. “It is about access, affordability, and collaborating with policymakers, scientists, and regulators to keep women at the center of the conversation.”
Newsom also signed SB 303, the Public Workplace Bias Mitigation and Employee Protection Act, authored by Smallwood Cuevas. That legislation focuses on implicit bias awareness training and strengthens the use of evidence in workplace discrimination cases.
SB 303 enables state and local agencies to engage in anti-discrimination programs while keeping employees’ participation in these programs confidential and inadmissible in civil court proceedings.
On the Senate floor on May 28, Smallwood-Cuevas explained that the protection SB 303 provides aims to foster more open and honest participation in training, ultimately creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces.
“Let me be clear, the goal of this bill is not to shield employees from accountability or from discriminatory action or speech or shared intent to discriminate from their employees,” Smallwood Cuevas said. “The bill simply, narrowly focuses on admission of bias and mandatory training.”
Smallwood-Cuevas introduced SB 303 in May as part of a broader bill package designed to advance equity, strengthen worker protections, and expand opportunities for all Californians.
That package included SB 75, the Reentry Pilot Project. SB 75 was enrolled and presented to Gov. Newsom on Sept. 23, for his consideration after it passed both houses of the California Legislature.
It requires the California Workforce Development Board to establish a Reentry Pilot Project in the Counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego to provide workforce training and transitional support to formerly incarcerated individuals committed to careers in the skilled trades.
“This bill package is about putting working families first — an important step toward leveling the playing field for the people who are the backbone of our communities,” said Smallwood-Cuevas. “By introducing legislation that better protects our workers, we can create a more equitable economy for all communities across this state.”