For Immediate Release
September 19, 2022
San Francisco, CA – California Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Assembly Bill 1664 into law, which expands the California Nonprofit Security Grant Program to cover additional security measures and removes the sunset date for the grant, making it available for years to come.
JCRC is proud to have sponsored AB 1664, and made its passage a top legislative priority. In this time of rising antisemitism and hate, providing safety and security training and site assessments for faith-based and other nonprofit organizations is critical. Jewish communities nationwide are reeling from recent attacks on synagogues in Pennsylvania, Texas, and California, and heightened security measures have become an unfortunate necessity for our institutions.
JCRC also advocated for money in the state budget to fund the grant program, resulting in $50 million dollars for target hardening and other security enhancements for nonprofit grant recipients. Beyond advocacy, we also hosted leadership forums for Jewish community organizations to provide the bill’s author and coauthors with input, and continue to promote the Security Grant Program with interfaith and minority communities beyond the Jewish community.
We thank Governor Newsom for recognizing the importance of this grant to faith-based institutions, LGBTQ and AAPI community centers, reproductive health facilities, and other nonprofits at risk from violent extremism. We are also deeply appreciative of the hard work of the author Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, and entire the Legislative Jewish Caucus, for making the safety of nonprofits a top priority.
Contact: Jeremy Russell, Director of Marketing and Communications, jrussell@jcrc.org
