SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California state Assembly has approved a bill to block discrimination against transgender jurors.

The bill by Assemblyman Mark Stone, a Democrat from Monterey Bay, clarifies state law on peremptory challenges that are used to remove prospective jurors during jury selection.

It also bars using peremptory challenges based on a juror’s disability, ethnic group or genetic information.

AB87 says a challenge can’t be used simply because a lawyer assumes that a prospective juror would be biased because he or she has the characteristics of another gender.

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The measure passed without debate on a 63-2 vote Thursday. It now goes to the Senate.

It already is illegal to use the challenges because of race, religion, sex, national origin, or sexual orientation.

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