Discrimination against homosexuals is no longer tolerated in California public schools. A new law, called the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, or Assembly Bill 537, adds "sexual orientation" into the Education Code and protects homosexual students from harassment and discrimination. The bill was passed by the senate and state assembly in September. Although Assembly Bill 537 was signed by Governor Gray Davis in early October, it did not take effect until Jan. 1, 2000. Whether the student's sexual orientation is perceived or real, the new law gives victims of anti-gay harassment and discrimination the same protection offered to students who have been discriminated against because of their sex, ethnicity, race, national origin, religion, and mental or physical disability. Sexual orientation is defined by actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. This change in the educational code affects over five million students in California schools. The bill bars discrimination not only in the classroom, but also in all programs and activities that take place on public school campuses, such as Boy Scouts. The governing board of a school district is responsible for ensuring that programs under their jurisdiction are free from discrimination. "This is definitely the most import piece of legislation affecting gay and lesbian students to have passed in this country," a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign said. States such as Washington, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Connecticut have already passed laws similar to Assembly Bill 537. "This bill sends a message to all our school administrators that they must take steps to stop this kind of harassment," Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl said. Kuehl is one of the authors of the bill, and introduced it to the assembly. After a bill becomes a law, there is lag time before the law is written into a formal policy. Because of this, Lodi Unified School District has not yet formed a policy to deal with harassment based on sexual orientation. Once a policy is adopted, it will be written into the education code and sent to everyone in the district for enforcement. If a situation in which a student was harassed because of his sexual orientation were to come up before the policy is formed, administration would have to act without a written policy. "We would do what is best for the students and staff of the district," Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Lane Weiss said. The district's lawyer would also be consulted on how the California Penal Law has been interpreted in the courts. Although a policy has not yet been formed, Principal Jeff Thompson says that any type of harassment is not allowed. "Any type of harassment or discrimination against students and staff is inappropriate," Thompson said. "Harassment in itself is not tolerated." Assembly Bill 537 is a scaled down version of Assembly Bill 222 (called the Dignity for All Students Act), which failed by one vote on the assembly floor earlier this year. Assembly Bill 222 would have prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in instructional services and programs. Earlier bills such as Assembly Bill 101 and 1001 also tried to amend the Educational Code. However, all of these bills failed, sometimes by only one vote. The Christian Right launched campaigns to combat Assembly Bill 537, arguing that homosexual students were already protected by the California Penal Law. Despite its controversial nature, the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 is one more attempt by the state legislature to grant equality to all students.