HEAR Survivors Act Signed Into Law, Expanding Protections for College Students

Congratulations to our student advocacy group Survivors + Allies! On September 20, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2212, the Higher Education AI Response (HEAR) Survivors Act, updating California’s Education Code to address sexual harassment facilitated by digital and artificial intelligence technologies.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) and sponsored by Survivors + Allies, gives California college students the right to seek support from their universities for AI-generated and other tech-facilitated forms of sexual harassment.

“Technology is changing how sexual harassment occurs on our college campuses, and California’s laws must keep pace,” Bauer-Kahan said. She added that the legislation ensures state law recognizes new forms of harm created by emerging technologies, and thanked Survivors + Allies for bringing the issue to the Legislature.

The law follows statewide research by Survivors + Allies showing that one in seven California student survivors of sexual violence experienced online sexual harm, and that 40 percent of those survivors did not seek support from their institutions.

In a statement, Survivors + Allies said the law’s passage reflects direct advocacy by students who mobilized their peers, communities, and elected officials, and expressed hope that the bill could serve as a model beyond California, particularly as federal protections for survivors have weakened.

Read the full Survivors + Allies report on how California colleges respond to sexual violence, and learn more about Survivors + Allies.