BOARD DIRECTS ORDINANCE FOR “BUBBLE ZONES”, PROTECTING PEOPLE WHO ACCESS SCHOOLS, HOUSES OF WORSHIP, HEALTHCARE
Los Angeles, CA August 6, 2024— Today, the Board of Supervisors approved Chair Lindsey P. Horvath’s motion to create a “bubble zone” ordinance to protect individuals accessing healthcare centers, houses of worship, and schools. The policy is modeled after a state of Colorado law intended to ensure community members can safely enter and exit healthcare facilities. The ordinance would apply to unincorporated Los Angeles County.
“Los Angeles County has a responsibility to ensure our community members can safely receive medical care, practice their faith, or access their schools,” said Chair Lindsey P. Horvath. “Even here in Los Angeles County, we have seen how intimidation is used to prevent community members from entering facilities to receive essential services—bubble zones are how we meaningfully protect personal safety.”
The motion directs County Counsel to draft an ordinance modeled after the state of Colorado’s “bubble zone” law. The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor to:
- Obstruct, detain, hinder, impede, or block another person’s entry to or exit from a healthcare facility, educational facility, or place of worship.
- Approach another person within eight feet of such person, unless such person consents, for the purpose of passing a leaflet or handbill to, displaying a sign to, or engaging in oral protest, education, or counseling with such other person in the public way or sidewalk area within a radius of one hundred feet from any entrance door to a healthcare facility, educational facility, or place of worship.
The motion also requests the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to inform and train its law enforcement personnel on the new ordinance upon enactment, and instruct the Chief Executive Office to conduct a forum to educate the 88 cities within the County of Los Angeles of the new ordinance and encourage the cities to adopt a similar ordinance.
