Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed two bills into law on Tuesday to combat antisemitism in California schools as part of the state’s efforts to address harassment of Jewish students.

The first bill passed by the California State Assembly creates a statewide Office of Civil Rights and establishes an “antisemitism prevention coordinator” to develop training and resources for K-12 schools. The companion bill passed by the California State Senate creates four statewide “discrimination prevention coordinators” to provide resources and training that address various forms of bias and discrimination in schools. The law takes effect on Jan. 1.

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“Antisemitism is a historic scourge and needs to be addressed aggressively,” Newsom wrote in a letter to the California legislature.

Prior to its approval, the legislation had been met with opposition from the California Teachers Association because the union argued it would impose unprecedented limits on curriculum regarding classroom discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Newsom rejected those concerns, siding with the state’s Jewish Legislative Caucus and the Jewish Public Affairs Committee.

A previous version of the legislation defined antisemitism and required the adoption of a curriculum to include discussions of Jewish people, Israel, or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Neither of those provisions made it into the final text.

Previously, the governor established a first-of-its-kind, statewide framework to combat antisemitism and created a commission to track hate crimes.

As a result of its efforts, California has been recognized by the Anti-Defamation League as the top state in fighting antisemitism.

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“California is taking action to confront hate in all its forms,” Newsom said in a statement. “At a time when antisemitism and bigotry are rising nationwide and globally, these laws make clear: our schools must be places of learning, not hate.”

Tuesday’s signing comes on the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.