Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed the legislation on Tuesday, which prohibits colleges from regarding an applicant’s ties to school donors or relationship to alumni as a deciding factor in admissions.

In April, Maryland completely banned any legacy preference in private and public higher education institutions. Illinois, Virginia, and Colorado banned legacy preferences at public colleges. These bans on legacy admissions come after the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action, granting someone an opportunity on the basis of race, is unconstitutional.

“In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work. The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly,” Newsom said in a statement. 

Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting, the writer of the bill, has been combating legacy admissions ever since the 2019 Varsity Blues scandal broke out, in which high-profile celebrities, such as Lori Loughlin, bought their children’s way into top colleges by bribing sports coaches and administrators.

“If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field,” Ting said in a statement.

About 14% of students admitted to Stanford and the University of Southern California in the fall of 2022 had legacy or donor connections.

The ban, which will take effect Sept. 1, 2025, will not begin to be reflected in admissions until the fall of 2026.