California Circumcision Law

The California Male Circumcision Bill (AB 768) was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, stopping local governments across the state from banning circumcision.

The male circumcision law was conceived after a proposed ban measure appeared headed to San Francisco voters.

Proponents of infant male circumcision said the practice should be stopped because it caused painful surgery to an unwilling patient.

Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Burbank/Glendale) introduced AB 768 in July to prevent local governments from creating their own "patchwork of regulations" covering medical procedures in the state.

The California State Legislature passed the male circumcision bill last month and sent it to Governor Brown, who has now signed it into law.

Religious groups across the state and many California doctors supported Assembly Bill 768 and had opposed any circumcision ban.

Matthew Hess, an activist behind the attempted ban in San Francisco that started a California Circumcision War, declared that California had "taken a big step backward."

The California male circumcision law, which takes effect immediately, follows the effort by Hess and his group to enforce a San Francisco ban of the religious practice through a November ballot measure.

In July, a San Francisco Superior Court judge struck down the circumcision ban measure.

The judge ordered the measure taken off the ballot, saying it was preempted by state law, served no legitimate purpose, and would infringe upon religious freedom.

The circumcision ban would have made it a crime to circumcise a boy before he is 18 years of age in San Francisco, regardless of the parents' religious beliefs.  It was struck down as a similar effort in Santa Monica, California was withdrawn.

Circumcision is a ritual obligation for infant Jewish boys and also a common rite among Muslims and Christians.

Now that Governor Jerry Brown has signed the California Male Circumcision Bill into law, the practice will remain legal.  The law is now in effect statewide.