California AB 1084 Advances, Expediting Gender Identity Document Changes; Critics Raise Parental Rights and Safety Concerns

Sacramento, CA – California Assembly Bill 1084, authored by Assemblymember Rick Zbur, is progressing through the state legislature, aiming to significantly streamline the legal process for individuals to change their name, gender, and sex identifiers to align with their gender identity. The bill, which passed the Assembly with a 60-13 vote on June 4, 2025, and is currently under review in the Senate Appropriations Committee, seeks to expedite these changes, requiring courts to approve uncontested adult petitions within six weeks, and potentially as quickly as two weeks for uncontested cases.

Proponents, including sponsor Equality California and various LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, argue that AB 1084 is crucial for reducing discrimination and allowing transgender and nonbinary individuals to live authentically and safely. They emphasize that current processes can be burdensome and expose individuals to harassment due to discrepancies in their identification documents. The bill eliminates the ability for third parties to object to an adult's name change and sets clear, expedited timelines for processing applications.

However, the legislation has drawn sharp criticism from groups like the Lighthouse Baptist Church and the California Family Council, who contend it undermines parental rights and disregards biological sex. The "WomenAreReal" account stated in a recent tweet, > "AB 1084 creates a legal path for criminals to disappear behind a new identity, and with the blessing of the state, a violent man armed with legal identification as female gets unfettered access to women's locker rooms, shelters and other private spaces." Critics specifically object to provisions for minors, which stipulate that parental objections based solely on concerns about biological sex or gender identity will not constitute "good cause" for denying a name change.

This bill is the latest in a series of legislative efforts in California to update gender identity laws, following previous measures that simplified the process for changing gender markers on birth certificates and other official documents. Its passage would further solidify California's stance on gender self-identification, while continuing to fuel a contentious debate over identity, parental authority, and the implications for single-sex spaces.