CA Passes ‘Equal Pay for Equal Play’ on State Lands
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California's State Capitol in Sacramento. Wikimedia Commons photo.
On Monday, California's Governor Gavin Newsome signed AB 467 into law, making it illegal for sports organizations to pay male and female competitors differently at events held on state-controlled lands. The bill comes in the wake of a recent controversy over unequal payouts at a WSL event held at Mavericks.
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The Committee for Equity in Women's Surfing (CEWS) alleged that the unequal payouts at WSL events was an example of gender discrimination, and the California State Lands Commission and California Coastal Commission agreed. Ultimately, the WSL decided to award equal prizes to male and female surfers at all of its events, a major victory for female competitive surfers. While CEWS had initially supported AB 467, they have rescinded their support based on concerns that the bill will disincentivize organizers from running women's events.
Going forward, any sporting organization applying for a lease or permit to hold a competition on state land will need to demonstrate their intent to pay male and female competitors equally. The law will go into effect on January 1st, 2020.
