California is set to become the first state to explicitly ban caste discrimination. Senate Bill 403 (“SB 403”), which was passed last Tuesday, September 5, would integrate “caste” into the definition of “ancestry” as a characteristic protected from discrimination by California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and Fair Employment Housing Act. If signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom before October 14, 2023, the law will go into effect on January 1, 2024.