California Government Code 11135 prohibits discrimination in any program or activity that a state agency runs, funds, or supports financially. It covers a broader set of protected characteristics than federal civil rights law, reaches private contractors and local agencies that spend state money, and lets you enforce your rights either by filing a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department or by suing in court for equitable relief and attorney fees.
What the Law Prohibits
Section 11135 bars discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, and sexual orientation.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 11135 These terms carry the same meaning they do under the Fair Employment and Housing Act in Section 12926, so courts read them consistently across both statutes.
Protection also extends to perception and association. Being turned away from a state-funded program because someone assumes you have a disability, or because of your connection to a person of a particular religion, violates the statute the same as discrimination based on your own actual characteristics.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 11135
Who Has to Comply
The statute reaches three categories: programs run directly by a state agency, programs funded directly by the state, and programs that receive any form of state financial assistance.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 11135 A county health department spending a state grant, a nonprofit operating a state-funded job training program, and a private company holding a state contract to deliver public services all fall within the law. The California State University system is explicitly included.
Compliance follows the money down the chain. If a state agency sends funds to a local government, and the local government subcontracts part of the work to a private firm, that private firm is also bound by the non-discrimination requirements.2California Legislative Information. California Government Code 11138
Disability Access, Including Websites
For disability, Section 11135 sets a floor at Section 202 of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Where California law provides stronger protections, the stronger standard controls.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 11135 Meeting the ADA alone is often not enough.
This has real consequences for digital services. Under updated federal ADA Title II regulations taking effect in 2026, state and local government programs must bring their websites and digital content into conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. Because Section 11135 incorporates the ADA as a baseline, state-funded programs delivered through websites, portals, or mobile applications need to meet those digital accessibility standards or face a discrimination claim.
Protection Against Retaliation
Regulations implementing Section 11135 make retaliation unlawful whenever you engage in protected activity. Protected activity includes filing a complaint, participating in an investigation, opposing a practice you believe is discriminatory, or simply asking the Civil Rights Department or another agency for advice about your rights.3Cornell Law Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 2, Section 14071 – Retaliation Generally You don’t have to have filed a formal complaint for the protection to apply, and it doesn’t matter whether your underlying concern turns out to be meritorious. Raising it is enough.
How It Differs From Federal Title VI
Section 11135 is California’s state-level analogue to several federal civil rights statutes, but it is not a copy of any of them. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.4U.S. Department of Justice. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Section 11135 reaches a wider list of protected characteristics and attaches to state rather than federal funding.
Many organizations take both state and federal money and must comply with both regimes at once. Satisfying Section 11135 does not satisfy Title VI, and the reverse is also true. A program that complies with Title VI on race could still violate 11135 by discriminating based on sexual orientation or marital status. When a program draws from both pots, you may be able to file at both levels.
Filing a Complaint With the Civil Rights Department
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the primary agency enforcing Section 11135. The process starts with an intake form. Have ready the name and contact information of the entity you believe discriminated against you, the specific facts and any records about what happened, copies of supporting documents, and the names and contact information of any witnesses.5California Civil Rights Department. Complaint Process A CRD representative will then conduct an intake interview to decide whether a formal complaint can be accepted for investigation.
For non-employment matters, which covers most Section 11135 claims, you must submit the intake form within one year of the date you were last harmed.5California Civil Rights Department. Complaint Process If you first pursue the matter through another administrative channel, such as a state agency’s internal grievance process, that one-year clock pauses while the other proceeding is pending.
What Enforcement Can Do
The strongest tool in the statute is the power to cut off state funding. When a contractor, grantee, or local agency is found to have violated Section 11135, the state agency administering the program “shall take action to curtail” state funding to the violator, in whole or in part.6Justia Law. California Government Code 11137 The language is mandatory, which leaves the agency little discretion once a violation is established.
CRD’s process can also impose corrective action on the offending entity: policy changes, staff training, or restoring access that was wrongfully denied. The specifics depend on the violation and the program.
Suing on Your Own
You are not required to go through CRD. Section 11139 lets you enforce the statute and its regulations through a civil lawsuit for equitable relief, and this right stands independently of any other remedy available to you.7California Legislative Information. California Government Code 11139 Equitable relief means court orders directing the entity to stop discriminating and to provide access it denied. It does not include money damages.
A prevailing complainant is entitled to recover costs, expenses, and reasonable attorney fees, including expert witness fees. That fee-shifting rule applies whether you resolve the claim through the administrative process or through a private suit, and it is often what makes representation possible when the monetary stakes themselves are modest.